There was a time when the ‘All Four Cups’ concept was considered the holy grail of rugby league, with only three clubs able to achieve the feat of winning the league, county championship, Challenge Cup and county cup in one season.
The abolition of the league and county cup in 1970 and 1993 meant that the records of Hunslet in 1907/08, Huddersfield in 1914/15 and Swinton in 1927/28 could never be matched, but the closest of the summer was almost certainly in evidence. as elusive.
In winning the Betfred Challenge Cup with an 18-8 victory over Warrington Wolves at Wembley on Saturday, Matt Peet’s Wigan Warriors joined Bradford Bulls and St Helens, who won the treble in 2003 and 2006 before claiming the World Club Challenge the following year, in holding each title available at the same time.
It was a success rarely seen for the Cherry and Whites since the 1980s and 1990s, and long-serving captain Liam Farrell had not experienced anything on this scale in his 14 years as a first-team player.
“We have legends as players at our club in (assistant coaches) Tommy Leuluai and Sean O’Loughlin – they’ve never done anything like this,” said Farrell, who now has 11 major awards to his name.
“Then we have players like Brad O’Neill who is 21 and has won everything. I’ve been around for a while, and it’s a pretty special squad that we have here now.
“Obviously we have some very talented players in the whole squad, but we have a mix of youth, talent and experience, and it all comes together. The lads enjoy spending time with each other and a lot of that is down to Matty and his staff.
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Highlights of Wigan Warriors’ win over NRL champions Penrith Panthers in this year’s World Club Challenge
“The way we approach training days, we are strong when necessary, but we also laugh and this is one of the main reasons we work. If we didn’t like what we do, I wouldn’t be able to do what we do.”
For Wigan’s third-year head coach Peet, it is the second time he has overseen his hometown side lift a trophy in rugby league’s oldest and most prestigious knockout competition, with victory in the Challenge Cup in 2022 his first trophy in charge.
Farrell and Lance Todd Trophy winner Bevan French was quick to praise the environment Peet has fostered at the club as key to the continued success the Warriors have enjoyed, although the boss was quick to return the praise to the players.
In particular, the injured Willie Isa in the second row won plaudits for the pre-final shirt presentation which involved each player talking about their legacy and was reflected at full-time at Wembley with some having the flag represented on their shoulders.
Obviously, we have some talented players in the whole squad, but we have a mixture of youth, talent and experience, and it all comes together. The guys love spending time with each other and Matty and his staff have a lot of that.
“It’s very, very special – I’m sure it brings the lads together digging as deep as they are,” Peet said. “What Willie did there, as a leader and as a senior player, was incredible.
“I don’t know much about Aboriginal culture, I don’t know about Cameroon, I don’t know about Swaziland, and Lebanon.
“When you see 20 flags put up, you want the player to do well if you know more about it and I’m sure all the players are the same.
“It’s amazing when you get a group of people working together and we have a diverse team, which is something we celebrate.”
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Take a look back at Wigan Warriors’ route to their first Betfred Super League title since 2018
Attention now turns to the defense of their Super League title, with 15 games of the regular season remaining for Wigan and they sit behind leaders and arch-rivals St Helens on points difference having played fewer games.
However, Peet’s approach will not change, with his focus on enjoying every moment together and knowing that there are greater achievements ahead of him.
“This group is at its best when it’s playing for each other,” Peet said. “When I see this team play, I’m like ‘How about this? Get them excited about winning’.”
“It’s less about the opposition, more about them; How much fun can we have? How many connections can we build?
“This group of players, I think, is motivated by what we can achieve and the memories we can make together.”
Wigan Warriors’ Betfred Super League defense continues away to Castleford Tigers on Saturday, June 14, live on Sky Sports Action (8pm kick-off). Watch every match of the 2024 Super League season live on Sky Sports or stream without a contract with NOW.
