Joe Cullen has laid his cards on the table. The 36-year-old Rockstar, once ranked 12th in the world and a 2022 Masters champion and Premier League finalist, admitted in November 2025 that he had “lost a lot of love for the game.” Speaking to Online Darts, Cullen confessed: “I used to look forward to going to darts.” By that point, he had slipped to 35th in the PDC Order of Merit, earning just £152,000 in 2025 — a third of his 2022 peak of £448,500. “If I look in the mirror, I’ve underachieved,” he said, acknowledging a spiral that saw him miss majors and his consistency break down.
Yet 2026 has brought a flicker of revival. Cullen reached a Players Championship 5 semi-final, saw his win rate climb from 54% to 62.5%, and banked £49,500 in the first three months — projecting to £198,000 for the full year, a 30% increase. He has thrown three consecutive 100-plus averages: 101.71 against Damon Heta, 101.57 against Brendan Dolan, and 101.16 against Adam Gawlas. However, European Tours remain a struggle, with a 6-5 loss to Andy Baetens despite a 101.4 average, and defeats to Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith raising questions about whether his improved floor form translates to the stage.
The numbers tell a stark story of decline. Cullen ranked 12th in 2022, 23rd in 2024, and 35th in 2025. His win percentage dropped from 67% in 2021 to 45% in 2024, before recovering to 54% in 2025 and 62.5% so far in 2026. “I only value the social aspect of darts,” he told Online Darts, admitting his hunger had gone. He counted more talented players than him on one hand — a statement fans might see as arrogance, but which Cullen frames as belief. The problem, he says, is that he can’t find adrenaline “on board 14 in Leicester.”
The World Matchplay looms as a potential turning point. Cullen sits 9th in the Matchplay qualifying race, with a £14,000 buffer to 16th-placed Damon Heta. A first-round win pays £22,500; a semi-final £65,000. Ten appearances at Blackpool, including a semi-final in 2023, make the Winter Gardens a familiar stage. But the field is fierce: Wessel Nijman, Niels Zonneveld, Kevin Doets, Dirk van Duijvenbode, and Ross Smith all average higher than Cullen over the last 12 months. “One win secures £22,500, a semi-final pays £65,000,” the article notes. “A deep run could flip the perspective of Cullen from underdog to contender.”
April 2026, however, offered a stark warning: a 30% win percentage, just one last-32 appearance, and four first-round exits. His averages dipped into the mid-80s, exposing a C-game that is below par for beating top-128 players. “If this comes out on the major stage with his C game, could this be detrimental to his confidence?” the analysis asks. Cullen’s A game remains among the best in Players Championship fields, but consistency across all levels is missing. As the article concludes: “Performing and caring aren’t the same. Cullen is doing one. Whether he is doing both remains the question.”
