PAUL Cullen is hungry for silverware and the prospect of quenching that desire at his hometown club has driven him to sign a three-year contract extension at Warrington Wolves this week.

A Wolves trophy triumph would be treasured by Cullen but he knows that there will be no quick fix.

Wolves' disastrous showing at arch-rivals Widnes on Sunday highlighted numerous deficiencies in Cullen's Rugby League dynasty.

But he believes that the club's future is looking brighter than it has for many years and he says that gradual progression is the key to competing with the high budget super powers of St Helens, Bradford, Leeds, Wigan and Hull.

Cullen is convinced that the gulf in financial clout can be diminished over time and he has put his international ambitions on hold to concentrate fully on trying to bring the glory days back to Warrington.

He has been a mainstay of the representative scene for the last five years but he said: "I have withdrew and stood down from involvement in the representative scene and I have signed a contract extension at Warrington (to keep him at the club until the end of 2007).

"So from now on my energy will be put solely into taking this club to the level that it should be at.

"To do that we need to create a budget that allows us to compete consistently across the season and across the years at the highest of levels.

"That won't happen overnight. The progress has to be constant."

Cullen added: "I firmly believe that this club is going in the right direction and I want to be a part of the progression.

"My previous break from this club sent the signal out that I want to be a coach that doesn't just have the local tag. My involvement with Warrington is purely my bonus.

"I would love nothing more than to bring some silverware to Warrington but there is a down side to coaching my hometown club.

"When you live in the same town after the way we performed against Widnes at the weekend then life becomes uncomfortable and difficult.

"It was a totally unacceptable performance and I don't want anyone to read anything into the timing of my new contract and the change of ownership which has seen Simon Moran take a 73 per cent stake in the club.

"It is not a knee jerk reaction to take attention away from our performance.

"This is a part of the club's long term planning and it just so happens that those issues have been finalised in a very uncomfortable week."

Cullen looks set to keep faith with the players that flopped against Widnes when fellow struggling side London come to town on Saturday, kick-off 4pm.

Wolves have a habit of bouncing back from disappointing defeats and Cullen is confident that the trend will continue against the Broncos.

He said: "We beat London earlier in the year and we need to beat them again following our defeat at the weekend.

"The team that takes to the field against London, barring any injuries in the week, will be almost the same side that took to the field against Widnes.

"We are a side that is carrying a number of individuals at the moment.

"We have misfired in a number of games because we have some senior players out of form and some returning from injury who are well off the pace from last year.

"We will not correct that by throwing people away and treating them with contempt and disrespect. We will only do it by nurturing them through the situation.

"My policy is to force players back to fitness and to form."

Wolves may have second rower Darren Burns available. He is in the final stages of recovery from a rib injury but John Wilshere has been ruled out with his knee problem.

There are injury concerns over back rowers Paul Noone and Mike Forshaw.

They picked up shoulder injuries against Widnes and half backs Lee Briers and Nathan Wood were also in the wars at Halton Stadium.

They were injured early in the game and Cullen believes that their performances, and the dynamics of the team, suffered as a result.

Cullen said: "They picked up knocks against Widnes but I expect them both to play against London."

Wolves v Broncos preview

Last meeting: Broncos 24 Wolves 36, April 4, 2004. Wolves' try scorers were Jerome Guisset, two, Jon Clarke, Mike Forshaw, Paul Noone and Mike Wainwright. Noone banged over two conversions while Nathan Wood and Gary Hulse both scored a drop goal. Home results versus Broncos in Super League: 1996, 28-24; 1997, 18-38; 1998, 14-23; 1999, 28-14; 2000, 48-14; 2001, 28-31; 2002, 14-28; 2003, 50-8. Broncos squad: Andrew Brocklehurst, Andy McNally, Dave Highton, Dennis Moran, Francis Stevenson, Jim Dymock, Joe Mbu, John Kirkpatrick, Jon Wells, Lee Greenwood, Lee Sanderson, Mark O'Halloran, Mat Toshack, Mitchell Stringer, Neil Budworth, Nigel Roy, Paul Sykes, Radney Bowker, Rob Jackson, Rob Purdham, Steele Retchless, Steve Trindall, Tommy Haughey, Richard Moore. Links with Wolves: Wolves hooker Jon Clarke signed from the Broncos in 2001. Danger man: Australian utility man Dennis Moran was the top try scorer in Super League last year. Form guide - Broncos' last five away games: Lost to Salford, 30-12; lost to Wigan, 64-8; beat Castleford, 42-34; lost to Hull, 46-4; lost to Leeds, 58-14.