"At the risk of sounding like Van Gerwen, I can only blame myself": Joe Cullen calls out 'lazy' nature of his own game after ProTour triumph

Joe Cullen took an important step Wednesday toward qualifying for next month's World Grand Prix. The Englishman took the title at Players Championship 27 in Hildesheim, Germany, after a riveting final against Gerwyn Price. In doing so, he secured not only a second Pro Tour title of the season, but also a firmer position in the rankings that determine qualification for the prestigious tournament in October.

In a final that remained exciting until the last leg, the 36-year-old Englishman drew the longest straw. Opponent Gerwyn Price, who took a title in Germany earlier this week, missed the chance to take back-to-back titles to his name. However, Cullen remained cool under pressure and decided the match in his favor with a rakish double four. It not only earned him the title, but also an elation that was clearly audible in the hall.

Cullen recorded an average of 99.78 in the final and produced no fewer than nine maximum scores of 180 points. "Am I allowed to swear? (laughs) No, I just said to Gez at the end that I felt like I was in control of the whole game. But obviously, Gez has been winning a lot more often than I have lately, so I’ve been struggling. When you put yourself in the position to get over the winning line, it’s always tough, whether you’re Phil Taylor or whether you’re me. You could see the nerves at the end, that’s what I said to him."

Cullen's self-reflection afterwards was striking. The former Masters champion, who had already won a final and a title this season but then faded away, put his hand to his own heart for his lesser performance in recent months.

"Yeah, do you know what? I’ll take ownership of it. We got to a final in the first one, I think it was PC4, 5 or 6, and I won that one. Then I thought, “I don’t have to go to the qualifiers anymore,” and I just sat back a bit. I got lazy, I’ve not been practising, and this game is brutal — you get what you deserve. I’ve not been practising, other people have, and I’ve been struggling for the last few months."

According to Cullen, just the last few weeks made the difference. "The last few weeks I’ve been putting the work in though. I spoke to my wife and she said, “When the chips are down, you always seem to find something,” and today I found it."

The title in Hildesheim came at a crucial time for Cullen. Before the start of this Pro Tour weekend, he was still outside the provisional qualifying spots for the World Grand Prix. With this win, he significantly increased his chances of qualifying.

Earlier this year he reached the final of the first Players Championship tournament in February and won Players Championship 5 in March by beating Gian van Veen. After that, however, his form stopped and he did not make it past the last sixteen in ranking tournaments. The result: a free fall to number 29 on the world ranking list.

"Yeah, obviously. Those players who say, “I’m not bothered about the rankings, I don’t look at them” — I’m not stupid. I don’t look at them all the time, but I know what’s going on. I know I’m defending the semis from two years ago. If I don’t qualify for the Grand Prix, 40 grand is coming straight off my ranking and there’s nothing I can do about it. I had a decent week last week," he added.

"I’ve actually been playing decent for probably the last month. The results don’t suggest that, but I’m a big believer in how it feels when I’m playing. Today I felt comfortable most of the time. I felt a bit edgy against James Hurrell in the quarters, and again when it got to the nitty-gritty, but that’s natural. I like to think I’ve been doing it long enough to get over those nerves.

With the title in Hildesheim, Cullen now returns to the spotlight and seems to be on his way back to the top. The Englishman knows better than anyone that maintaining consistency remains his biggest challenge, but the confidence is back. He also owned the fact he had to play qualifiers.

"Do you know what? It’d be so much harder to deal with if I was putting the work in and still not getting the rewards. But I haven’t, so you get what you deserve. I’m in qualifiers tomorrow, that’s just how it is. There’s no one to blame. At the risk of sounding like Van Gerwen, I can only blame myself. I’ve been lazy and I’m now reaping… what’s the opposite of reward? (laughs) Reaping what you sow. Exactly that. Honestly, I’m just so happy to win this today. You could tell by the relief at the end."

With the Players Championship circuit in full swing and major television tournaments just around the corner, the timing of this victory for Cullen is almost perfect. The World Grand Prix in Leicester is known as one of the most unpredictable and exciting tournaments on the calendar, with its unique double-in, double-out rule. For Cullen, who has had previous successes but struggled with his form, this tournament offers a chance to make his mark once again.