Peet previews the Good Friday Derby

[josie andrews]

* Matt Peet has looked ahead to the Good Friday Derby at a sold out The Brick Community Stadium, in association with Greenmount Projects.

* Peet: “There’s still healthy fear in knowing what the other team is capable of, and you just hope to be on the right side of the result.”

* Watch previous Good Friday Derby’s in full on Wigan TV HERE.

MATT PEET HAS LOOKED AHEAD TO OUR GOOD FRIDAY DERBY AGAINST ST HELENS IN FRONT OF A SOLD OUT THE BRICK COMMUNITY STAIDUM.

Providing a squad update following the win at Hull KR, Peet said: “We were late getting back from Hull so the lads did their own recovery on Saturday before returning yesterday to look over footage. We haven’t been on the field yet, but I’ve not had reports of anything different, which is a positive.”

Home tickets for the fixture sold out three weeks in advance, on which, Peet said: “I’m sometimes surprised with how quick it happens, but I’m not surprised when I see the signs go up. I see why because it’s a game that always delivers. It’s testament to Wigan and St Helens and one that’s a positive story.”

On the Wigan and St Helens rivalry, Peet said: “Mutual respect comes with the rivalry and the history. In these games you win some and you lose some, but we’re both better off having the opposition. A lot of the best moments from each others histories have involved the other team, and there’s still healthy fear in knowing what the other team is capable of. You just hope to be on the right side of the result.”

On St Helens’ start to the season, Peet said: “I’ve been impressed. I always see St Helens as our biggest competitors for silverware, and that’s no different. You look at the squad they’ve got and they’ve found some quality players with a fresher coaching staff. I can see what they’re building, they’re improving each week, and one thing I know about this St Helens team is that they compete as hard as any team in Super League.”

Please note that this fixture is sold out and no tickets will be available to purchase on the day. Ahead of the clash, previous Good Friday Derby’s are available to watch on Wigan TV HERE.

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2025/04/ ... day-derby/

[josie andrews]

Why Bevan French now feels like an adopted Wiganer as Warriors ace discusses St Helens rivalry

Bevan French admits he wasn’t aware of the magnitude of the Wigan-St Helens rivalry when he first arrived in England, but now, he absolutely gets every bit of it.

The Australian superstar is currently in his seventh season with the Warriors, having scored 105 tries in 124 appearances following his arrival from the NRL back in 2019.

As he prepares for a mouth-watering Good Friday showdown with Saints at a sold-out Brick Community Stadium, French admits he didn’t know just how big of a rivalry it was when he first came over to Wigan.

"The rivalry between the two clubs was spoken about when I first got here, and I guess you don’t realise it until you get out there and experience it really,” French told Wigan Today.

“The rivalry speaks for itself, it doesn’t really matter where each team sits on the table when we verse each other, we just know it’s going to be 80 minutes full-on, so it’s great to be a part of and learn about it over the years. Obviously, your wins are better than your losses, but every time you come up against Saints, especially on Good Friday, it’s very enjoyable.

“I remember when I first got here, all they (the fans) said to me is ‘we don’t care if we don’t win trophies, as long as we win against Saints during the season!’. That was the first time I realised what it actually meant to the community, not only my teammates, but everyone in the town, they all thrived off it.”

French, who is contracted to the Warriors until at least the end of 2028, feels somewhat of an adopted Wiganer now, being very much settled in the north of England.

And because he has been part of the Warriors for so long, he absolutely understands what the derby against Saints means for the town.

“It obviously means a bit different now from when I first got here,” French continued.

“Obviously, you hear about it and you learn about it, but after being here for a certain amount of time, it feels like I’ve grown up here.

“It means a bit more now, I think at the start (of my time here) you want to do it because of how much it means to your teammates and the community itself but now I feel like I’m a part of it, and you play for yourself rather than just everyone else, so it’s good to be a part of.”

Asked if he felt like an adopted Wiganer now, the Tingha native laughed: “Yeah, basically. I won’t end up getting that (accent) though, I don’t think!”

More than 24,000 people are expected to be in attendance at the Brick Community Stadium, with both Wigan and St Helens selling out their tickets three weeks in advance.

“It makes you excited when you come up in these games with the atmosphere built around it,” French added. “You are a bit more up for it because of the atmosphere.

“I think it can put you under a bit of pressure, these games can come down to little moments when it’s built around the atmosphere, so we’ll have to be very switched on, but I think we’ve been heading in the right direction over the last month or so. I know the boys are excited just as much as I am.”

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... ry-5088857