Wigan, Peet and the pursuit of excellence

Liam Farrell (front) will lead his Wigan side out to play Leigh on Saturday with the Super League play-off semi-final live on BBC Two from 17:15 BST

In nearly three seasons as head coach of Wigan Warriors, Matt Peet has assembled a collection of trophies that some bosses would struggle to fit into a career.

One World Club Challenge, two Challenge Cups, two League Leaders' Shields and a Super League Grand Final have all been won, and Peet's side are the bookies' favourites to retain the latter in 2024.

Not since the old winter era and the days of Shaun Edwards, Dean Bell, Joe Lydon, Ellery Hanley and Martin Offiah, to name but five of their incredible stars, have the Cherry and Whites gripped rugby league with such an iron fist.

It has been a rapid ascent for the English literature graduate, who breaks the mould when it comes to perceived coaching wisdom.

Peet was not a professional player, though a fine amateur one. He worked his way up the coaching ranks and acquired the experience, insight and skills which have brought him riches on the field.

"If someone would have suggested the way it was going to play out when I first got the job, I would have been hugely surprised," Peet told BBC Radio Manchester.

"But I don't tend to dwell on it too much, I just look forward and keep trying to improve as a coach, trying to help the team improve, all of us really and that's all we've done.

"When you do take stock and reflect it is brilliant. I would have been made up with that but we're trying to get better."

'There's no ego in this club'

Junior Nsemba's ascent as a player has been rapid as he continues to shine with Wigan

It is that constant desire to improve that has been key to Wigan's development from a side that was defensively sound yet lacked vibrancy in attack, to one that could mix it any which way required.

Peet has surrounded himself with good people, who just happen to also be good coaches. Sean O'Loughlin and Tommy Leuluai provide a brains trust built on 76 international caps between them and a bucket-load of winners medals.

In the squad, imports such as Jai Field and Bevan French provide X-factor, but there is a core of talented English stars in the ranks - like winger Liam Marshall, centre Jake Wardle, half-back Harry Smith and back-rower Junior Nsemba.

Experience is provided by more senior players such as captain Liam Farrell, prop Luke Thompson and lock Kaide Ellis.

Wherever you look, there is quality, and that was borne out by the selection of four players in the 2024 Dream Team. In addition to Marshall, Wardle and Nsemba, Thompson marked his return from the Australian National Rugby League with an outstanding season in the Warriors' front row.

"I feel like in this team you're all competing for a spot, we've got four back-rowers now, we're all competing and we're all making each other better in training," Nsemba told BBC Sport.

"If you're not picked you're still doing it for the team, you still have a role and a part to play.

"There's no ego in the club, we're a humble club. We're not playing as individuals, we're doing something to make memories with the boys."

Marshall excited by play-off opportunity

Wigan's Dream Team quartet of Liam Marshall, Junior Nsemba, Luke Thompson and Jake Wardle

Marshall's form in 2024 has been career-best, seeing him top the try-scorers charts in Super League and earn a call into Shaun Wane's wider England squad for the Samoa Test series this autumn.

For him successes have been particularly sweet. At one stage it looked like he might be out of favour at Wigan, and he fought hard to come back from two ACL injuries, in 2018 and 2020 respectively, to continue his career at the highest level.

His try won the Challenge Cup for Wigan against Huddersfield at Tottenham in 2022, and he was the match-winner at Old Trafford in 2023 to see off Catalans Dragons in the Grand Final.

There was great pride throughout the team to finish the regular season top of the table and receive a trophy for their efforts, albeit the main prize of the Grand Final is still to come.

"I think the trophies earlier in the year you get chance to enjoy," Marshall told the 5 Live Rugby League podcast.

"The World Club Challenge and the Challenge Cup you get a period where you can celebrate, but with the League Leaders' (Shield), obviously you earn the right to a week off and a home semi-final but there's not much time to really dwell on it.

"After the game we sat there for half an hour as a team and soaked it in a bit but then it's back into training, it's the next job and preparing as best we can to get back to Old Trafford.

"The time to celebrate will be in a couple of weeks if we can get there and win, but there's some very strong competition. It's exciting and we're looking forward to it all."

'No perfect scenario' in preparation

Leigh will provide a local derby test for Wigan in their semi-final live on BBC Two on Saturday, a game which the players have had an extended break to prepare for given their top-two placing.

The squad went to the University of Bath for a training camp, another chance to build relationships and togetherness within an already tight-knit group, and to offer a refreshing change of scene.

Balancing a need to rest with preparing for the rigours of the play-offs is something Peet has already become accustomed to at this stage of the campaign.

"We've had two years of the week off now, and one year we failed to progress, so we looked at what we did different," he added.

"We tweaked it last year, trained a bit differently and got a good performance against Hull KR.

"I don't think there's a right or wrong, I don't think there's a perfect scenario, it's ultimately what you make of it."