Wigan vs St Helens: Matt Peet ready to renew rivalry as Paul Wellens grapples Jonny Lomax vs George Whitby 'headache'
Watch Rivals Round live on Sky Sports, with Hull FC vs Hull KR (12.30pm), Wigan vs St Helens (3pm) and Leeds vs Huddersfield (5.30pm) on Friday; Leigh vs Warrington (1.30pm) and Catalans vs Salford on Saturday (6pm)
Friday 18 April 2025 07:27, UK
As two hometown head coaches, Matt Peet and Paul Wellens know what the derby between Wigan Warriors and St Helens means more than most.
Peet is a Wigan local who has worked his way through the Wigan system during his coaching career, while Wellens spent his 20-year long professional playing career as fullback for the Saints, the club he grew up a stone's throw away from.
Now they are once again charged with putting two sides out to battle in front at the DW Stadium on Good Friday - one the sold-out crowd will hope once again provides a contest worthy of the occasion.
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For Peet, it is once again an opportunity to test his side against the team that he always sees as their main opposition for "silverware".
"I am sometimes surprised at how quickly it sells out but I am not surprised it does," Peet said.
"It is testament to both clubs and it is a real positive for both clubs. I can see why because we all know this game always delivers.
"I think the respect between the clubs comes with the rivalry and with the history. You win some, you lose some, but I think we are both better off having the opposition and a lot of our best moments in both of our histories have involved the other team.
"It is a bit like a boxer- if you don't have good people to go against you don't get remembered. I think all the players are in the same boat.
"There is a massive amount of respect, a healthy bit of fear of what the other club are capable of, and you just hope you are on the right side of it game by game."
"I always look at St Helens as our biggest competitors for silverware," he added.
"That is no different."
For Wellens, Super League having a strong Saints side and strong Wigan side is always vital for the rivalry to thrive and that will be on show once again come Friday.
"I really enjoy it, it is exciting, and it is exactly what the game needs," Wellens said.
"Saints need a strong Wigan and Wigan need a strong Saints. This game every year sells itself. There is no need for any trash talking or any nonsense.
"There is such an amount of respect between the two clubs because we both know what we are going to bring, which is our best efforts on the day.
"I think all great rivalries have that level of respect no matter what sport you are in and this is no different.
"I know a lot of people at the Wigan club are really good operators and that is why Wigan are a strong club.
"We do our absolute best to be the best we can be and on the weekend we get an opportunity to put out best foot forward and test ourselves against an opposition that have been really successful recently."
Experience vs youth: St Helens' Whitby headache
While St Helens have injury issues heading into the derby, another headache for Wellens is over who will be handed the No 7 shirt for his side.
While captain Jonny Lomax assumed that role for 2025, youngster George Whitby came in for round seven and put in a player-of-the-match performance, leading many to believe he had done enough to keep the shirt.
Wellens admitted he had not yet made a decision on Monday of who would be in that key position come Good Friday.
"What I can say is that the young lad has given me a headache and some thinking to do," Wellens said.
"We will have our main train session tomorrow and by then I will have decided who it will be.
"He was fantastic and you have got a halfback there at the end of the table (Harry Smith) who controls the game, kicks the ball really well and keeps the game simple," he added.
"I thought that was what George did on the weekend. It didn't take me by surprise and he has been fantastic throughout the course of pre-season, really patient for an opportunity, and I was delighted with the way he approached the game.
"There is no doubt in my mind that he is good enough. That is why I played him last week and I had no qualms playing him at the weekend.
"It is a really tough selection call and it is a really tough headache, but headaches are good.
"But yeah, he is good enough."
Peet understands the difficult decision his opposite number has to make but sees it as another symbol of how successful both clubs' academies are at producing top-level talent.
"I can see that Paul has got a decision to make," Peet said.
"Whatever decision he makes will be the right one for the club and it is a good position to be in.
"We have had similar things in the past when Harry (Smith) was chomping at people's heels at one point.
"Also there is something to be said for those who have been and done it before.
"It is a great position to be in and it is credit to St Helens' youth development that they are in that position.
"Anybody who has watched their academy for years has known about George (Whitby) and Harry (Robertson) and these lads have been on the scene.
"I think we are both in privileged positions to have these lads in our systems."
Round Eight - RIVALS ROUND - every match live on Sky Sports
Thu April 17: Wakefield vs Castleford - 8pm
Fri April 18: Hull FC vs Hull KR - 12.30pm - exclusively live on Sky Sports
Fri April 18: Wigan vs St Helens - 3pm - exclusively live on Sky Sports
Fri April 18: Leeds vs Huddersfield - 5.30pm
Sat April 19: Leigh vs Warrington - 1.30pm
Sat April 19: Catalans vs Salford - 6pm
Sky Sports will again show every game of Super League live this season - including two matches in each round exclusively live, with the remaining four matches each week shown on Sky Sports+ via the red button.
