Matt Peet secured his ninth trophy as Wigan Warriors head coach with his side sweeping aside Catalans Dragons to lock up the Super League Leaders Shield.
Having beaten Leeds Rhinos last week, Wigan knew that a win tonight would secure the silverware and they obliged by beating Catalans 50-12.
It ended a miserable season for Catalans but marked an incredible second half of the year for Wigan, who are now unbeaten since round 12 when they rotated their squad against Hull KR ahead of the Challenge Cup Final.
Wigan took the lead early through Harry Smith but a Ugo Tison try threatened to spoil the party, however, the Warriors swiftly got back on top with scores from Liam Marshall, Brad O’Neill and the man of the moment Liam Farrell.
The second half saw five more Wigan tries with Austin Daniel, Jai Field, Zach Eckersley and Adam Keighran scoring, before Marshall grabbed his second to bring up the 50-point mark before a Catalans consolation as Wigan secured the League Leaders Shield in some style.
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Wigan Warriors and Catalans Dragons talking points
League Leaders Shield secured and Peet’s record
It was to be expected given both Wigan’s form and the line-up that Catalans named as Wigan confirmed themselves as League Leaders Shield winners, taking the silverware for the sixth time.
Only St Helens (eight) have lifted that trophy more in Super League’s 30-year history and with Wigan winning it tonight, it means Matt Peet has now won the trophy on three separate occasions (2023, 2024 and 2026). It also means he lifts his ninth trophy, tied with Daniel Anderson and Tony Smith for the most of any coach in the Super League era.
Whilst the scoreline in the end was comfortable, Wigan did look uncomfortable early on as they took their foot off the gas and almost treated the game as if it was Liam Farrell’s testimonial, though they swiftly got back on track after Catalans’ try as they raced away to the win.
Are Wigan unbeatable now?
As referenced, Wigan did have a lull early on but in truth they played down to the level of their opponents and when they finally decided to click into gear, they won with ease.
They didn’t really have to get out of second gear and yet they still managed to put up such a huge score. Heading into the play-offs, that is some scary form.
Even scarier is the fact they have now won 15 Super League games in a row and 16 in all competitions if you include the Challenge Cup Final. They’ll need to win two more if they’re to lift the Grand Final trophy at Old Trafford, but on current form you’d suggest no one will stop them.
Legends sign out
Three legends signed off in this game, one Wigan legend, one Catalans legend, and one St Helens legend, but of course the focus was on Liam Farrell and he rolled back the years to score a trademark Liam Farrell try.
The second-rower ran a brilliant line to score just before the half time hooter, registering his 134th Super League try, the second-most of any forward in the competition’s history.
More than just his try-scoring accolades, Farrell was remembered on the night as a Wigan Warriors great, playing his final regular season game at home and possibly his last-ever if he’s not selected for the semi-finals.
Also playing for the final time were Benjamin Garcia and Tommy Makinson, the former being a Catalans legend and the latter a St Helens legend, despite originally being from Wigan.
As such, Wigan gave 100 tickets to Makinson so that his family could attend and watch the final game of his impressive career.
Wigan win the League Leaders’ Shield 🏆 pic.twitter.com/LV26lL8QvX
— Sky Sports Rugby League (@SkySportsRL) September 11, 2026
