CHRIS Bridge looks fondly upon his first 10 years with Warrington Wolves but reveals he does have one regret.

The utility back, whose switch to stand off part way through last season coincided with an upturn in the team’s fortunes, wishes he had performed better for the man who brought him to the club in 2005.

When Bridge sought an exit from Bradford, head coach Paul Cullen – with a helping hand from assistant and former Odsal star Mike Forshaw – was quick to secure the services of the talented England Academy international.

“Warrington had been chasing me for a while and then I had a bit of a fall-out with Nobby (Bradford head coach, Brian Noble),” said 30-year-old Bridge.

“I wanted to leave and I spoke to Mike Forshaw on the phone and said ‘Get me out of here’. From there, I ended up signing for Warrington.

“When I was younger, I didn’t take my rugby seriously which is well-documented. The club could have got rid of me a few times over little misdemeanours but they’ve stood by me and supported me through dark times.

“I appreciate that and I hope I have repaid them with some of my performances over the last couple of years.

“But it’s one regret I have about the club that I don’t think I did Paul Cullen justice. He’s a great bloke and I regret how my actions affected things, that I didn’t do best by him.

“In those early years I don’t think it would have mattered which club I was at or who was there, it was the place I was in ‘mentally’ at that time.

“It’s crazy really. From 10 years old, all I wanted was to be a rugby player. Then when I got to 17 I thought it was the norm to be going out every night and socialising.

“I got into a bit of a rut, some dark places, and then with some injuries as well that made me a bit worse.”

Things changed for the better in 2009.

“Everything just seemed to fall into place around that time,” said Bridge, who is the leading scorer on the club’s books with 1,021 points courtesy of 104 tries, 302 goals and one drop goal from his 210 appearances.

“I settled down in a relationship, had a little girl and Tony Smith came into the club too.

“Tony wouldn’t pick me for ages. He just said ‘you are coasting’ and that for a man of my talent I had been ‘coasting all my career’.

“I don’t think he picked me for about six weeks. I remember the team getting hammered at London and he’d picked me in the under 21s instead.

“So I thought after thatan absolute hammering at London he would pick me but he didn’t. Eventually he did on the bench and brought me on at hooker!”

It was a tough lesson that did the trick, because after Smith showed the door to Martin Gleeson he looked to Bridge to take over at right centre – the start of a prolific partnership with Chris Hicks and then Joel Monaghan, with Lee Briers and Ben Westwood adding to the lethal attacking threat on the inside.

They proved to be combinations that served Wolves so well during their Challenge Cup winning campaigns of 2009, 2010 and 2012, the League Leaders’ Trophy success of 2011 as well as Grand Final appearances of 2012 and 2013 – one of the most successful periods in the club’s history.

“I’ve got a great relationship with Tony now,” added Bridge.

“I can speak to him about any of my problems. He’s really good like that and has been really good for me.

“What the club have done for me is amazing. It’s a great club to be at. And being here 10 years is crazy, I still can’t believe it. I’m the second longest-serving player at the club now behind Super Bennie Westwood.”

* Chris Bridge's Testimonial game takes place against Hull KR at The Halliwell Jones Stadium on Sunday, kick off 3.30pm. Wolves will also play Toulouse at 1pm as Tony Smith gives all his men a run in preparation for the start of Super League XX.