Winning is not enough for Wigan head coach Matt Peet as he prepares for his side’s quest to become only the third to secure three consecutive Super League Grand Finals when they face Hull KR at Old Trafford on Saturday night.
On-field success has always been part of a bigger picture for the 41-year-old, who rose through the club’s junior coaching ranks to assume first-team duties in 2021, and now stands on the cusp of enshrining his name in their illustrious folklore.
In an era in which rugby league is being forced to constantly evolve to avoid being squeezed out in today’s combative social media sphere, Peet has always been acutely aware of the sport’s need to achieve recognition that goes beyond the scoreboard.
“Whether you were trying to inspire one person on the terraces in the sixties, seventies or eighties, or you’re seeing it globally via social media, I still think the challenge has always there to inspire and entertain,” Peet told the PA news agency.
“That’s through playing in a certain manner, acquitting yourselves well and competing hard. Fans have always enjoyed seeing players who leave everything out there, and in matches like this when both teams have star talent, at some point there will be a moment to remember.”
Arguably, there has not been a thrilling Grand Final since Wigan’s narrow loss to Leeds in 2015, something Peet attributes to an extent to the persistently drab October weather.
How to optimise rugby league’s undoubted ability to produce highlight reel moments is arguably its most pressing issue, and Peet’s comments come at a time when the age-old debate of how to expand what has always been an M62-centric sport to that wider audience continues to rage.
No sooner will the dust settle on this year’s Grand Final than RFL chiefs will unveil their latest attempt to optimise the product, when they announce an expansion of the top flight to 14 teams for next season, and reveal which teams – likely including at least two of Toulouse, London and York – have made the cut.
Restructuring remains a hotly-contested issue, but for Peet, examples of good, evolving practice in the sport are more obvious in the individual ambition shown by clubs like Rovers, whose shrewd guidance under owner Neil Hudgell has transformed them back into a true force, and others like Leigh and Wakefield.
“I think people within the game are working very hard and the game-day experience is certainly getting better across Super League, but a lot of the challenges come back to resources and finances,” Peet added.
“I think the end goal should be to get as many clubs to a certain level as possible. I believe that there should be expansion, growth and investment – whether that means jumping to 14 (clubs), or reducing to 10, I’m not sure. I think a long-term aim of two 10s in Super League would be fantastic.
“How we get there needs to be carefully mapped out, and must involve deciding what to at the right stages for the right reasons. It’s about expansion, investment and ambition, and I think the likes of Hull KR, along with Wakefield and Leigh, have set a great blueprint out for how to achieve that.”
