Matt Peet signs seven-year contract extension with Wigan Warriors, alongside Sean O’Loughlin and Tommy Leuluai

Wigan Warriors head coach Matt Peet has signed a seven-year contact extension with the reigning Betfred Super League champions.

He has been joined by former Wigan players Sean O’Loughlin and Tommy Leuluai, now serving as assistant coaches, in agreeing long-term deals to remain at the helm of the first team until at least the end of the 2030 season.

Peet has been in charge of the Warriors since 2022, winning the Betfred Challenge Cup in his first year in charge before sealing Betfred Super League Grand Final and League Leaders’ Shield triumphs in 2023.

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The Wigan-born coach then rounded off his trophy collection when his side beat the Penrith Panthers 16-12 to be crowned World Club Champions last month, and expressed his delight at agreeing a seven-year deal after beginning contract negotiations with Warriors chief executive Kris Radlinski ahead of the start of the 2024 season.

“Kris started the discussions with myself and told me what he had in mind, and told me he wanted to do something unique and would I be open to committing to the club for something longer than the norm?” Peet told Sky Sports News.

“With the vision the club have with Kris and the new owner, Mike Danson, it was a really appealing offer from him. We’ve continued talking over the last few weeks and to get it sorted is fantastic.

“It makes me very proud. It’s a job which brings great responsibility and I love to do it.”

Playing greats O’Loughlin and Leuluai have both coached at the Warriors since hanging up their boots, making 458 and 134 appearances for the club respectively.

Back row forward O’Loughlin joined as a junior from Wigan St Patrick’s and went on to become captain for both his hometown club and England. He was awarded an OBE in the birthday honours list in 2022 for his services to rugby league.

“I spent my career as a player [at Wigan] and I feel like I’m in a very good place to learn my career as a coach now under Matty’s mentorship and the guidance above that,” O’Loughlin told Sky Sports News.

“It feels like a very good place, it’s a privilege and an honour to be offered that kind of length, but it also comes with the fact we know we’ve got to adapt and develop and improve as coaches year on year, and week by week.

Half-back or hooker Leuluai, meanwhile, joined Wigan from London Broncos ahead of the 2007 season and played 327 times for the club over two spells. He represented New Zealand 40 times, the highlight of which was being part of the team which won the Rugby League World Cup in 2008.

“I was grateful, but surprised,” Leuluai told Sky Sports News of his reaction to being offered a seven-year contract. “I’ve only just started my coaching journey, but I’m enjoying it.

“I’m learning, I feel like it’s the best place for me to develop and although it is far away from home, Wigan has become a second home for me.”

The duo both spoke of their desire to keep learning and improving, and that is something Peet has prioritised as Wigan aim to build on what has been an impressive first three seasons with him in charge.

“I am an inexperienced coach, and my ambition is to improve and to learn,” Peet said. “I think I’m in the perfect place to do that and I’ve got some special people around me to help.

“There is so much with the club we want to achieve on the field but off the field as well. I think we can make a bigger impact in the community than we have done up to now and we have a lot of ambition about that.

“But for us, it’s just about improving our coaching style, improving the way we deal with players, and the fact we have signed for so long means we will have to evolve.”

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