Matt Peet says he stands by his comments that St Helens have “lost their identity” ahead of the two derby foes meeting at Magic Weekend on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.
Peet made the comments after his side’s 32-0 victory over Saints in the Challenge Cup semi-final which they went onto lift after a comprehensive win over Hull KR.
It marked the second meeting between the sides this season after St Helens staged a stunning Good Friday comeback, with Hull KR loanee Bill Leyland scoring twice in the closing minutes to seal a dramatic victory.
It is that Good Friday victory that sparked the comments from Peet, in particular St Helens using Leyland and Jordan Dezaria from the Robins on one-week loans and the wild celebrations that ensued.
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Magic Weekend, 4th and 5th July. Live on Sky Sports.
Now, as they prepare for the trilogy showdown at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, the atmosphere surrounding what is already a fierce grudge match has been further intensified by Peet’s comments.
While he is aware they were said out of emotion, Peet “stands by” what he said and is looking froward to another derby battle.
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On loan from Hull KR, Bill Leyland scores twice in the closing minutes to complete a remarkable St Helens comeback, first burrowing over from close range before racing clear after a Wigan error to seal the derby win.
“I said what I said in context, in that moment, a bit of emotion there and yeah, I’ve got to own those comments,” Peet told Sky Sports.
“But the attention is very much looking forward now and they won’t count for much, that won’t count for anything this weekend.
“It is all about preparing our players now and trying to get the best performance we can.”
When St Helens head coach Paul Rowley was asked about whether the comments have played any role for Saints in their preparation his answer was simple: “Not really”.
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Bill Leyland reflects on a surreal derby performance after scoring twice and admits he has only had one training session with St Helens following his loan from Hull KR.
He later added: “For me, there was nothing to draw a line under. I never reacted, so it’s the same again.
“Lee Briers never did last week. It was the media fanning the flame.
“There’s nothing there.”
Wigan contend with four new injuries
Peet also confirmed that his side will be without Bevan French, Liam Farrell, Luke Thompson, and Noah Hodkinson when his side take on their old foes.
Youngster Hodkinson suffered a fractured skull, while Farrell sustained a shoulder injury, French picked up a hamstring problem, and Thompson suffered ligament damage in his foot.
Peet said: “We lost Luke Thompson. He’s done the ligaments in his foot, so he’ll be around six weeks.
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Having been out for 12 weeks with a torn hamstring, Bevan French returned as he helped Wigan thrash Hull KR to triumph in the Challenge Cup.
“Farrell came off with a stinger, but he’s had a few now, so he’s going to have four weeks out, and then he’s going to get re-assessed, so he’ll be at least four weeks.
“Noah Hodkinson broke his skull, so probably not as extreme as it sounds in terms of timeframe, he’s got to get a bit of an operation there, so he’ll be three or four weeks.
“Bevan French has a hamstring strain, so it is grade two. It is a different hamstring than last time, but it will probably be four weeks, so there is a bit of news there.”
Despite the complications, Peet says he is relishing the chance to see Wigan’s youth shine once again.
“I’m looking forward to it,” said Peet. “Every time I watch our reserves, I’m impressed. Last weekend they played against Leeds, two good teams, so those kinds of reserve games give you the confidence that players are ready.
“There will be lads picked on form from that game and the ones running up to it from how they performed in the past when they’ve had an opportunity.”
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Everton defender James Tarkowski joins St Helens star and Toffees fan Jackson Hastings at the BrewDog Stadium to take part in a range of challenges ahead of Super League’s Magic Weekend.
Saints also have a raft of injuries to contend with, the likes of Jonny Lomax, Mark Percival, Noah Stephens, Deon Cross, George Whitby, Lewis Murphy, and Matty Lees all out.
For Rowley, the weekend represents another opportunity to use the “next man up” mentality that they have been employing throughout the entire season.
“There is so many injured players in our team so we’d like to have them all fit, obviously, but as every coach will always say, it’s the next man up mentality,” he said.
“I think for the entirety of the season, our players have been tremendous in the fact that they’ve been resilient. We’ve unearthed new superstars, Jake Davies being one of them, and we will continue to do that and we will continue to just perform.
“When everybody wears the Saints badge, we find a way of doing things and we are working hard to keep improving week on week, so this is another big test for us.”
Super League 2026 – upcoming key dates
- Magic Weekend: July 4-July 5
- Rivals Round reversed: July 23-July 26
- Elimination Play-offs: September 19-September 20
- Play-off semi-finals: September 26-September 27
- Grand Final: October 3
Sky Sports will show every game of the Super League live this season, including two matches each round exclusively live. The remaining five matches will be broadcast on Sky Sports+
