Warrington Wolves legend Cullen says work ethic comes from his dad

Cullen, whose entire 16-season playing career was spent with Wolves before a six-year stint as head coach, was inducted by the Warrington RLFC Players Association as its 49th Hall of Fame member last Sunday.

The 53-year-old received a standing ovation from an audience that included his first Wire coach Billy Benyon after receiving an induction certificate from his first captain Ken Kelly at the association’s annual dinner.

Forster, a teammate of Cullen’s for 13 seasons, told the Guardian: “They say I’m Mr Warrington Rugby League, but to me Cull is.

“Paul Cullen is everything about Warrington Rugby League. His heart’s in the game, his grassroots are in the game, he’s a local lad who still lives in the town.

“He captained the side for a long time, he went into coaching and the club survived under him in Super League when life was tough for the club. He is Mr Warrington Rugby League.

“He should be how every player that puts primrose and blue on feels about the club. He’s so passionate.”

Skipper Paul Cullen, with the ball, and Mark Forster, bottom right, at the start of Super League with Warrington in 1996

Cullen, who signed for Warrington aged 17 from Crosfields, became a Great Britain Colts tourist, represented Lancashire three times and won Lancashire Cup, Regal Trophy and Premiership Trophy medals from his 350 Wire appearances before a persistent knee injury forced his retirement in 1997.

He had roles as the club’s commercial manager, defensive coach and assistant coach before a spell as top dog at Whitehaven and his return to The Wire as head coach from 2002 to 2008.

Cullen, who also coached Lancashire and England during his Warrington career, said his work ethic came from his father, Brian, who was at the dinner to see his son honoured.

Cullen, a centre or stand off who converted to the back row and was known for his physical style and classy handling skills, told dinner guests: “At heart, I’m nothing more than a fan of Warrington Rugby League Club. It’s genetic. This is the best dad and lad club that’s ever existed.

“My early introduction to sport, to competition, to pride, was watching my dad come home from work, put some kit on and go straight back out.

"So whenever mydad was flogging himself through the working week and then going playing at Rylands or Thames Board, I’d go along with him.

“It’s a memory that’s simply burned into my DNA. I didn’t know any different.

“That’s been a part of my life ever since I can remember. So when you follow suit and you come home from school and you go out and start running round the block, I thought that was normal, that was what everybody did.

“I only realised later in life, that’s the kind of thing that gets you in a room like this and gets you among people like this. It’s different, it’s very special.

“We do something that most people don’t do, and that’s put yourselves and your bodies on the line every single day and every single week.

“Chatting around the room today, it’s like the walk of ward 10. There’s not a good knee, a good elbow, a good shoulder or a good hip left in the room. It takes its toll, and it has on most, but it’s all earned.”

Cullen, hailed at the dinner by Warrington RLFC Players Association chairman George Thornton as the head coach who laid the foundations for the successes enjoyed by the club in recent times, revealed how his love affair with Warrington Wolves started out as a supporter.

He said: “We used to follow Warrington home and away. We were fanatical. I’d go with my dad and his group of friends – there’d be 20, in mini buses and cars, following The Wire everywhere.

“At 8 to 12 I was going along with men in their mid-30s, 40s and 50s and they were passionate about Warrington and paying good money to watch the vast majority of men in this room apply their wares every single week - it sticks with you.

“When I joined Crosfields at 16 years of age, I was going to watch Ken Kelly play, and John Bevan, my good mate Roy Lester and Mike Nicholas. These were my modern day heroes.

“And a phone call from Billy Benyon changed my life.

"I remember it. My mum took the call, passed it on to my dad and he said Billy Benyon’s on the phone.

"We looked at each other and said “What - THE Billy Benyon? Why on earth is Billy Benyon ringing our house?

“And I was told come down to training on Tueday, we’d like to have a look at you, we want you to play for Warrington. I nearly fell over."

Cullen was pleased to be presented with his Hall of Fame induction certificate by his first captain Ken Kelly, a former Man of Steel Award winner and Great Britain half back.

“It means a lot for me to pick up an award presented by Ken Kelly," he said.

"You don’t play for the clubs he played for and Great Britain if you're not one of the best players that’s ever played this game.

“Ken always had a word of advice and mostly it was sit with me, come here, get off my shoulder and I’ll put you through a hole.

"And after a while you kind of stuck with players like that. Bob Eccles is another, Micky Peers – those kind of guys stick in my mind because that was the coaching promise of the day. Get here, get on my shoulder, and you go: "Why?". Shut up, just get with me and suddenly you’re in a gap that you never knew existed.

“It was 1980 when I signed, it’s 2016, it’s a long time ago. It sticks in my mind that people generally help you and Ken certainly was one of them. So to pick up a reward from Ken Kelly and to do it with my dad in the room is such an honour.”

Ken Kelly lifting the Lancashire Cup for Warrington in 1982. Paul Cullen was stand off to the scrum half that day and put his skipper over for one of the tries, a reference made by Kelly as he presented Cullen with his Hall of Fame induction certificate

Cullen was asked if there was one highlight in his time as a player or coach that stood out more than any other?

He said: "Leaving Wilderspool.

“Because it had absolutely nothing to do with rugby league or sport. It was about leaving a field that the vast majority of men in this room had worked on, had given their all for, had left their knees and elbows on it.

“It was about much, much more than just winning a game of rugby league.

“As a coach you work on process. You don’t really try and rely on your win/loss ratio because it will catch you out at some point. You rely on process.

“But that was the only game I’ve ever gone into as a player or coach that it was an absolute must-not-lose mentality.

“I hadn’t slept for a week because I didn’t want to leave Wilderspool with all the heritage, with the blood that had been spilled on it, with my name on the top of the team list as the coach that lost the final game at Wilderspool.

“To win that match in the manner that we did, when there wasn’t a spare square inch at Wilderspool on the day, and to pay homage to all the players who had worn the primrose and blue before us, and those that do after, I wanted to leave it on a high and regardless of winning games, losing games or highlights, there was nothing more important to me than that.”

Paul Cullen acknowledges the support of the crowd after masterminding a 52-12 win over Wakefield Trinity Wildcats in the last league match at Wilderspool Stadium on September 21, 2003. Picture by Mike Boden