WIGAN WARRIORS coach Matt Peet says the presence of so many homegrown players in his current plans is testament to the hard work and dedication of not just the club’s own development system staff but also coaches and volunteers throughout the region as a whole.
Amid a number of injury issues, 15 of the 21 players named ahead of Thursday’s home Super League clash with York, when the Warriors made it seven wins out of seven in all competitions this year, came through their Academy.
And for the second match running, it was an entirely club-produced spine, with Noah Hodkinson at fullback, Jack Farrimond and Harry Smith in the halves and Brad O’Neill, on his 100th club appearance, at hooker.
Peet put in lengthy service in the development ranks before taking the top coaching job in October 2021 and explained: “I have a good relationship with the staff, I know what goes into a pathways system I really believe in, and it’s a joined-up approach.
“It’s a matter of pride that we have brought through the number of players we have, and we also have to recognise the community and junior game in the north-west, because we are lucky to be sitting in a hotbed of Rugby League.
“There are a lot of people doing a lot of great work coaching and running clubs and there are the scouts who identify the talent for us to follow up on, so there are many in the chain.
“I think that all feeds into a belief that players can become top class, and while we will never be purely Wigan-centric, I think it’s a good approach to build on homegrown products who understand the ethos of the club and the region.
“It’s also helpful that the supporters buy into the process and really get behind the players who come through. There are more of them to come as well.”
Hodkinson, 20, played his junior rugby at nearby Hindley and was handed his recent opportunity due to well-documented issues for Australian duo Jai Field (appendicitis) and Bevan French (torn hamstring).
“He’s had a spring in his step, but he always comes into the place full of enthusiasm,” added Peet.
“We knew he was capable of handling the challenges of playing a position where you can sometimes be isolated, but it’s still been good to see him do it.”
While Field is recovering well after surgery, Peet said: “It was a tricky one because of the way they had to make the incision and go in, and we won’t be rushing him into a return.”
Wigan host Huddersfield on Saturday.