WIGAN WARRIORS coach Matt Peet expressed pride in his youngsters after handing debuts to ten players in their 62-4 defeat at Hull KR.
Peet rested most of his senior stars ahead of next Saturday’s repeat in the Challenge Cup final.
He said: “I think Hull KR deserve the scoreline. They were clinical and disciplined, but also I’m proud of the team.
“It was a very challenging environment and I’m really proud of them and the lesson they will learn about the intensity of the game at this level.”
Peet once again defended his team selection, saying Wigan had “earned the right” to name any players they want to.
“I’ve always said I’d do it with individuals in mind and that’s pretty much what I’ve done,” he explained.
“Whether it was players carrying knocks, playing with painkilling injections, cumulative minutes or the risk of missing a great occasion through suspension.
“That’s the decision I’ve taken. I’ve played it both ways in the past. There’s no right or wrong answer and you earn the right to decide in my opinion.
“You’ve got to do what is best for your players. I’ve been in a similar situation before and played it differently, but this felt like the right way to go at the moment.”