Wigan Warriors cruised to a 64-0 victory over a heavily rotated Salford Red Devils as Matt Peet’s side lifted a second consecutive League Leaders Shield.
Incredibly, it marked the first time that Wigan had won the League Leaders Shield on back-to-back occasions but they did it with aplomb as they ran in 11 tries against a very inexperienced Salford side.
That Salford team selection had been the talk of the pre-game but it didn’t take long for the talk to turn to Wigan Warriors as they cruised to a victory with Jai Field scoring a hattrick and each of Bevan French, Liam Marshall and Kruise Leeming all scoring braces.
Speaking on Sky Sports after his side were presented with the League Leaders Shield, Wigan Warriors head coach Matt Peet explained just how much it meant for his side to lift the silverware that is so often overlooked.
“Yeah, I’m very proud, it does mean a lot in terms of our consistency,” Peet explained.
“There’s been a lot of competition this year and we’ve had a lot to contend with with the World Club and the Challenge Cup, so I am very proud.”
What does winning the League Leaders Shield mean to Wigan Warriors?
Credit: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
As referenced, the debate about whether the League Leaders Shield is a ‘real’ piece of silverware has raged on but ultimately, it has shown that Wigan Warriors have been the most consistent team across the season and that in itself is a major achievement.
Despite that, the Wigan Warriors boss conceded that it isn’t the end goal as he explained: “We all know it’s not the end of the season. It isn’t the one that everyone wants to win and there are games to come, but it’s still something to be proud of.”
On that lack of recognition of the trophy his side had lifted for a second straight year and a fifth time in club history, Peet stated: “It never will because it’s not the end of the season. We all like going on holiday finishing on a win but I think it’s still important.
“I don’t know how you place more significance on it. We get a home semi, there’s prize money, we get a week off so without restructuring the league structure, I think it’s hard (to place more significance on it).”
As for him and his side, who have now won the last five trophies available to English teams, the Wigan boss said it’s not all about the trophies and insisted he wants to make the Warriors a team for the town to be proud of.
“The goal was never just trophies, and it was never just winning games, it was about connection and learning and making a difference in the town. Winning helps but it is not the be-all and end-all. We have to connect people with one another, connect people with the fans and there’s so much difference we can make to this town.”
