WIGAN WARRIORS coach Matt Peet hailed Abbas Miski and Tyler Dupree after winger Miski scored a hat-trick of tries in their hammering of neighbours Leigh Leopards and prop Dupree also touched down on debut.
The Lebanon international crossed for three second-half tries – with two of them interceptions – as well as assisting two tries in the first half as the Warriors earned a 44-18 win at the DW Stadium.
“The two interceptions are not only tries, but they are also great defensive plays as well,” said Peet.
“So when Leigh are threatening us, he is picking those plays off. That is because he is diligent in the week, he watches a lot of footage and practises hard.
“They are two different kind of tries. The second one was an excellent finish; I didn’t think he’d scored, to be honest, on the naked eye. It’s a credit to him that he got his body in that position. I think all his yoga is paying off.
“He’s a very well-rounded player. He is strong out of yardage and he scores tries, but if you watch his little bits in between when he has to pass from dummy-half, it’s on point. Technically, he is an excellent player.”
Peet handed a first-team debut to new signing Dupree following his big-money move from Salford Red Devils on a four-year contract, and he is hoping his arrival will lift the team as they look to push on in the race to Old Trafford.
“I hope so,” added Peet when asked if Dupree’s confidence will have a positive effect on his players.
“That is why we have signed him, because he has a point of difference. We have got some very fit, very athletic middles who do the job for the team.
“What Tyler brings is a bit more punch when he carries the ball. There are things he will have to learn and develop to get used to us, but the most important thing is that he keeps being himself. Carrying the ball strong, and the point of difference with his footwork and offloads.
“He almost got an offload away late on, but the referee brought it back. All those things will contribute to us being a tougher team to handle.
“We are sad about being out of the Challenge Cup. I do not shy away from it. It did hurt, it still hurts to an extent, but it allows us to narrow our focus on trying to finish as high as we can in the table and hopefully be competitive at the back end.
“We have to move on, but it allows us to concentrate our efforts on going as far as we can in the competition.”