Matt Peet praises ‘phenomenal’ Bevan French after Wigan book Grand Final place

Wigan head coach Matt Peet hailed star man Bevan French after his audacious second-half try capped a landslide 38-0 win over local rivals Leigh and sent the reigning champions hurtling into Saturday’s Betfred Grand Final against Hull KR.

French stood still before dribbling the ball through a bewildered Leigh defence and darting through after it to touch down and add to two tries each for Liam Marshall and Sam Walters, with Jai Field closing out the victory in the dying stages.

“Bevan is phenomenal and he is one of the reasons why a lot of the fans are here today and why there will be eyes on the game tonight,” said Peet.

“He’s got skill and flair and a great instinct for the game and the courage to play that ball. Loads of players can make those plays but they don’t have the bravery and the trust from their team-mates. Bevan knows they back him to express himself.

“The craziest thing is that no-one’s surprised. The less opportunity there looks to be when he gets the ball, the more dangerous he is. The biggest job for us as a coaching staff is not getting in Bevan’s way.”

Peet admitted his side’s performance – which was supplemented by 14 points from the boot of Adam Keighran – was “better than I anticipated” given the way Leigh had surged into the play-offs on the back of some big wins at the end of the regular season.

He quickly switched attention to next Saturday’s Old Trafford showpiece against Rovers by revealing his counterpart Willie Peters got his vote in the Coach of the Year Awards, for which they will go head-to-head on the final shortlist on Tuesday night.

“He (Peters) has added that toughness to Hull KR, to be as consistent as they have is credit to him and he has clearly instilled a work ethic and deserves all the credit for that,” added Peet.

“He has taken some of the players to another level and that is always a good indicator for a coach. They have beaten us in big games and there is massive respect between us. It won’t be the last big game between us because they are building something special on and off the pitch.”

Leigh head coach Adrian Lam described his side’s opening spell as “a bit of a nightmare” as they were pinned back in their own half for long periods and failed to threaten the scoreboard until the game was effectively out of sight.

“They put us under a fair bit of pressure in the first half and our response was uncharacteristic,” said Lam. “If you don’t complete against Wigan and if you give up six again and penalties and put pressure on yourselves, that’s what happens.”

Nevertheless, Lam said he would take pride in another stirring campaign from the Leopards, with a number of players, including Zak Hardaker, Tom Amone and John Asiata, having now played their last games for the club.

“It (the season) was a rollercoaster but we got it right towards the end and we have taken the club further than it’s ever been in the Super League era,” added Lam.

“Everyone doubted us at the start of the year but we kept the group together and kept believing. These players have helped change this club.

“To think three years ago this club was in the Championship and to go from there to where we are now, 80 minutes away from finals, is an incredible journey and they have all played their part.”