WIGAN coach Matt Peet concedes it feels strange to win the Coach of Year award after his team was knocked out of the semi-finals, but he says he won’t be over-reacting to that stunning defeat to Wakefield.
Peet took out his second Coach of the Year honour on Tuesday night, after winning it first in 2022, beating Leeds’ Brad Arthur and Toulouse’s Sylvain Houles to the prize.
The Warriors coach could see the irony in the fact that the last time he won the honour was four years ago, when Wigan also missed out on a spot in the Grand Final.
“I’m not saying I understand it, it’s a funny award, isn’t it? Because I think if you’re not in the Grand Final, you sit there wishing you were,” Peet said.
“But it’s great recognition for the group, I think. This year I found it easier to accept the defeat, and then picking this up on behalf of the team’s journey, but in the first year I was a little depressed.
“I was just still reeling from the semi-final loss against Leeds [in 2022]. So, it feels very different. The nature of the season we’ve had, the way we went out, it’s not ideal, but it’s part of sport.
“The trajectory of the team and the club is a positive one. We keep the group together, keep the staff together, barring a couple. So it just feels like another step on the journey.”
Asked if the award was bittersweet after a season where Wigan won the Challenge Cup and the League Leaders’ Shield, Peet replied: “You always dwell on the last one, don’t you? Then the painful part is you don’t have a game next week to put it right.
“But I’ve got to see past that as the leader of the group, and appreciate the team’s development this season, and a lot of individuals’ development throughout that year.
“A lot of lads have reached new levels of performance, and some of the rugby we played was the best during that period. So I’m not going to over-react to one game where we were outplayed, but there will be some lessons in there as well.”
