"To not get an explanation from anyone at the PDC was a massive thing for me" - Joe Cullen slams PDC for Premier League snub

Joe Cullen produced a dominant display against the world number five James Wade in the World Grand Prix first round, advancing with a 2-0 win. After the match, he told Dartsnews.com that he did not feel comfortable when throwing on the practice board, but managed to shake it off to secure a huge victory.

A slow start for the two-time champion left the door ajar for The Rockstar, who grasped this opportunity with open arms, taking all three legs to sprint out into a 1-0 lead. Wade took a 2-0 lead in the second set, but was pegged back by Cullen, who punished uncharacteristically sloppy darts on the outer ring from Wade to wrap up proceedings.

"I don’t know, because I was here for a pre-Pro Tour during the week and it brought the worst out of me, so I have no idea," Cullen said, reacting to the match. "I don’t know what it is. Like I said to the previous guy, I’d done a few interviews before my game and people said, 'Oh, this format really lends itself to you'. As a player, you don’t really feel like it does, because those games where you’re struggling to get off — it’s terrible, it’s horrible. But I think that’s a massive thing. If you’re going on consistent form over the year, I think James would have been a massive favourite. But I think I put him under pressure in the first set — I got away first in all three legs, and no matter who you play, that puts you under pressure. If your opponent’s starting well, you’re instantly chasing the game."

On paper it looked like a really tricky draw with Wade rising up to fifth in the world after reaching two major finals. But it was not The Machine who was the problem, with Cullen not feeling comfortable before stepping on stage. "Yeah, well, I’m not going to say I didn’t expect to win, but I didn’t feel comfortable at all," he said. "Before I went up, I spoke to my manager — my throw just felt different. It didn’t feel right. Whether that’s in your head or something physical with your throw, I don’t know. But I dug in and said to myself, 'there’s nothing you can do about it now — you’re on stage, fight or flight.' I think I did the right things at the right time, and yeah, I won the game."

A Pro Tour victory against Gerwyn Price was not enough to convince the former Masters champion that he was back to his best.

"I wouldn’t say form — you’re getting carried away there," he said. "Yeah, I won the event in Hildesheim, and Dan (manager) said to me, 'Are you back?' and I said, 'No, nowhere near.' That’s been the major thing this year — struggling for consistency. But if you said to me I’d reach the last 16 of every single event — Pro Tour, European Tour, everything — I’d take that consistency. I’d still rather win a couple of tournaments and play not so great in between, and that’s what I’ve done. I seem to find something at the right time. I was even in jeopardy of qualifying for this tournament, and then I found something in Hildesheim and won. It’s frustrating — I can’t imagine what it’s like for the fans or media — because I’m clearly capable. But there’s just something missing somewhere, and I’ve still not found it."

It was not just Wade's recent form that Cullen had to be wary about, but his excellent doubling. Cullen admitted that both him and Wade were not at their best tonight but relished the win and the confidence boost it gave him after beating such a highly rated opponent. "Some players are renowned for scoring power but lack that killer touch at the end of legs. But for this format, James’ style really suits it — he’s great at finishing, and he’s not a shabby scorer either," The Rockstar said. "If he gets away and finishes well, you’re in trouble. I don’t think he was at his best tonight, but to be fair, neither was I. Still, I got over the line and got the win.

"It definitely gave me confidence for the second set, yeah. But honestly, it’s a bit of a battle with myself at the minute. I’ve been doing okay — winning a tournament here and there — but then losing in games where I just roll over. Anyone can lose when they play well and their opponent plays better — I can take that. But when you just roll over and have your tummy tickled, that’s what hurts. And that’s what I’ve been doing between the good performances. When the draw came out, I said before — if you asked any darts fan from any era to name their top three finishers, James would be in everyone’s top three, certainly mine. So yeah, when you draw James Wade in a double-start, double-finish event, you fear the worst — especially given how good he’s been this year. But I just focused on my own game, and it got me over the line."

In the 2022 Premier Leage of Darts, Cullen missed a match dart to win the title, just pipped by Michael van Gerwen. He has not played in the event since, with him feeling hard done by the PDC for not getting an explanation for a being overlooked the next year.

"I think, at the time, it didn’t feel like a big deal the year after the Premier League, but looking back now — I’m 36 — it had a massive effect on me," Cullen said. "Not just missing out, but not getting any acknowledgement for what I achieved the year before. There are plenty of players who’d take their right arm off to come within a wire of winning the Premier League. To not get an explanation from anyone at the PDC was a massive thing for me. I think I dwelled on it a bit too long — then got past it — then dwelled on it again. I don’t think I gave that moment the credit it deserved at the time."