“I am sick of being where I am. I'm better than a lot of players above me” – Joe Cullen boldly vows to climb back up the Order of Merit

Joe Cullen’s Poland Darts Open campaign may have ended in a last-leg defeat to Michael Smith on Saturday night, but his most striking contribution of the weekend came in the moments after his opening round win an evening prior.

Having beaten Krzysztof Kciuk 6-2 on Friday night before narrowly falling to Smith the following evening, Cullen offered a blunt and revealing assessment of where his career currently stands.

Cullen acknowledged that 2025 slipped through his fingers after an encouraging start. “I’ve started putting effort in this year. Last year, I wasn’t good enough. There were certain spells where I had the old me. Ultimately, in this game, you get out what you give in. This year, I thought to myself, put some work in."

“I did that last year," he recalls. "But I got into the final of the first ProTour and then won one. Then I thought, ‘Oh, I can sit back a little bit now.’”

That decision, he admits, cost him momentum and consistency. The talent remained, but the intensity did not. “This year I thought, I am sick of being where I am, to be honest. I am better than a lot of players above me. But the rankings suggest otherwise, so it is only me that can put that right. I have been putting the work in, and I feel so comfortable at the minute.”

The 6-2 victory over Kciuk showed signs of that renewed application.

Cullen averaged 99.85, struck four 180s and converted 50 per cent of his doubles. An 88 checkout for a break of throw turned the match, followed by an 86 finish that extended his control. A 100 checkout put him 5-2 ahead before double 16 wrapped up the win.

He also highlighted a mental shift compared to last season. “I think last year, in front of a partisan crowd in someone’s home country, I would have folded there. I felt like I didn’t deserve it. I knew he would come out strong, but I thought the quality would show through at the end if I let it.”

That belief was tested again against Smith, where Cullen pushed the former world champion to a deciding leg before falling short.

The defeat means his Poland campaign ends earlier than he would have liked, but the tone of his comments suggests a bigger reset is underway.

Cullen has never doubted his ability. What he now questions is whether he has consistently matched that ability with the necessary work.

If his own words are accurate, 2026 is about removing that doubt and climbing back toward where he believes he belongs.