MATT PEET admitted Wigan were second best after they went down 16-10 to Wakefield Trinity at the DIY Kitchens Stadium in a stunning defeat for the Super League champions.
The Warriors trailed 10-0 at half-time and failed to launch anything of a meaningful comeback as Hull KR stretched their lead at the top of the Super League ladder to four points.
And Wigan head coach Peet was disappointed with the result, saying: “I thought we were second best in a really good game. In terms of the intensity and energy of the game, I thought it was a much higher level than we’ve played at for a long time.
“Within that, I thought Wakefield executed their game plan better than us, whether that was better last plays or execution in attack and defence.
“Credit to them, the night goes to them. It hurts for us.”
Peet said of winger Liam Marshall, who limped around the field at the end: “I’m not sure how he is yet. He has hurt his leg.”
The Wigan boss, though on the losing side, hailed the quality of the game: “It’s a completely different kind of game from last week (a last-gasp win over Huddersfield Giants). I enjoyed tonight as a game of rugby league more than last week.
“We will learn around the execution of plays and how we end our sets and how we defend certain things. We’ve got to be better.”
Peet lamented a technology mishap with eight minutes to go when referee Liam Moore lost communication with his touch judges, hindering Wigan when they had momentum.
“It’s a shame the technology let us down when it did. We had a four-minute stoppage with eight minutes to go – it denies anyone a chance to make it a good finish,” he said.
“I’m not saying we would have but the players deserve better. It’s happening way too much, it’s just another thing we need to fix.”
Wigan are now four points behind leaders Hull KR – and Peet conceded that Rovers are in “pole position”.
“They don’t look like dropping points at the moment,” he added.
“They are playing incredibly well and are relentless in their approach. It will be tough to turn that around but we can’t worry about that too much.”