Wigan Warriors have made a new coaching hire with the Super League champions acquiring a St Helens man on a long-term deal.
The Super League champions have appointed former star player Matty Smith as their Academy Head Coach for the 2025 season on a four-year deal.
It sees Smith swap St Helens for Wigan Warriors, crossing the rivalry in his coaching career as he did in his playing career, even if his playing switch wasn’t a direct move.
Smith had been the head coach of St Helens Women’s team, whom he led to both the Challenge Cup and League Leaders Shield in 2024 before they were defeated by York Valkyrie in the Grand Final at the start of the month.
He had also led Saints to Challenge Cup victory in 2023 so is no stranger to silverware in his fledgeling coaching career which now looks set to continue at Wigan Warriors as Academy Head Coach.
Wigan Warriors make coaching appointment
Whilst coaching St Helens Women’s team, Smith also served as an assistant to Paul Wellens but he’ll now step into a full-time role as Academy Head Coach with his appointment confirmed by a statement on the Wigan Warriors website.
It read: “Wigan Warriors are pleased to announce that Matty Smith will become Academy Head Coach from the 2025 season.
“Smith will rejoin the Warriors for whom he played 139 games at halfback between 2012 and 2016 winning two Super League Grand Finals and a Challenge Cup. He also won the Lance Todd Trophy in 2013 and made the Dream Team twice during his time at Wigan.
“After leaving Wigan, he rejoined his hometown club St Helens and went on to play for Catalans Dragons, Warrington Wolves (loan) and Widnes Vikings.
“The 37-year-old took charge of the St.Helens Women’s team in December 2022 leading them to a second-place finish in the league, also leading them to three consecutive Challenge Cup wins. During the 2023 season, he worked alongside Paul Wellens as a first team assistant.”
On the appointment, Wigan CEO Kris Radlinski said: “Matty has always had a tremendous, forward thinking rugby league brain. He used it productively as a player and has more recently expressed this through the teams he has coached. Having done an amazing job with the St.Helens Women’s team, he now has a desire to progress the coaching of the elite young men.
“Matt Peet and I met with him and his passion for coaching shone through. I think he will be an outstanding addition to our Club’s performance team ”
Smith, himself, added: “I’ve had two fantastic years with St Helens women’s and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed that experience and we’ve been a very successful group.
“This is an opportunity I couldn’t turn down, I see this as a really big role and an important one that allows me to work with and develop young talented individuals that this Club has always produced.
“I’m looking forward to working with all the coaches from across the Club and improving and developing myself as a coach also and I can’t wait to get started.”