Wigan Warriors head coach Matt Peet has expressed sympathy for Danny McGuire following his recent sacking by Castleford Tigers, calling for clubs to allow coaches more time to achieve results.
McGuire, a Super League great, was relieved of his duties earlier this week after a third consecutive defeat, the latest being a 30-12 home loss to Huddersfield Giants. The poor run also featured a tight 26-20 defeat to Wigan at The Jungle. With just four wins in their opening 17 matches, Castleford currently sit third from bottom in the Super League standings.
McGuire, 42, took over as head coach at the start of the season after serving as assistant to Craig Lingard in 2024—Lingard himself having been dismissed after only a year in charge.
Peet had publicly supported McGuire ahead of their recent matchup, expressing confidence in his ability to turn things around at Castleford. McGuire also appeared on Sky Sports shortly before his departure, urging supporters to stand by the team during challenging times. However, he was dismissed by Monday evening.
Speaking at his press conference before Wigan’s upcoming match against Huddersfield, Peet reflected on the decision: “Yeah, I was surprised. That’s the nature of the sport, but I hope he’s doing okay. Sometimes you just don’t know what goes on behind closed doors at clubs. But if you’re not going to support a coach, then you really need to look at the decision to appoint them in the first place. And that’s not directed solely at Castleford.”
Since taking charge of Wigan in 2022, Peet has guided the team to unprecedented success, including last season’s historic clean sweep of trophies. He emphasized the importance of giving coaches time to establish themselves.
“If you only give a coach a brief window to make an impact and then don’t offer proper backing, it reflects poorly on your own judgment,” Peet said. “At the very least, a coach should be given a couple of years to demonstrate their ability.
“My main concern now is that Danny’s doing alright. I have no doubt he’ll bounce back and go on to bigger and better things.”
