Wigan Warriors defeated Toulouse Olympique in a Betfred Super League match, with head coach Matt Peet crediting the crowd's support as the standout feature of the day.
Peet said the atmosphere at the ground proved decisive. "The story of the day was the crowd with the number and energy within the ground," he explained. "There were some great moments for the fans to take home as a reward, but we cannot thank them enough."
Reflecting on the Win
Warriors had to show resilience throughout the 80 minutes, particularly in defence. "We posted points and we had to be resilient for large parts," Peet said. "We defended our goal line for large parts, particularly the second half we did that really well. We knew that Toulouse would challenge us and they did for the full 80 minutes. The score line is a pleasing one, we came through healthy, and it's another two points."
Team Selection and Harry Smith
Peet explained his approach to the team lineup. Jake Wardle was rested but will return next week, while Sam Eseh was given an opportunity after playing regularly early in the season. Shea O'Connor had held the spot since then, but Peet kept his word to give Eseh another chance. "I had a conversation with Shea that he'd play again and he'd done nothing wrong. I just wanted to give Sam an opportunity and I thought he did well," Peet said.
Captain and scrum-half Harry Smith drew particular praise for his all-round performance. Peet highlighted the multiple demands on Smith's role: captain, scrum-half, and current goal kicker. "He's got a lot to get right but he did across the board with his leadership, game management, and goal kicking. It was an excellent performance," Peet said. "Sometimes Harry can go under the radar because he's so consistent. You need to be careful that we don't take him for granted, including myself, as he's a really important part of what we do here. I wouldn't change him for the world."