Rather like the chemical / landfill ming that hangs over wiretown wouldn't you agree?

He quite simply took the club as far as he ever could and had stayed too long. I felt that 2006 was as far as he was going to take us, but he'd never have left after having beat Leeds away in the play offs. After 2007, he really should have helds his hands up and acknowledged he could do no more.



It is a shame it ended the way it did, and it's a shame I spoke to some people who didn't know why they were giving him abuse, they just thought it was the right/cool thing to do because everybody esle seemed to be doing it.



He's a good transitional coach, I'd say. He was bound to do a good job at Widnes; he did a good job at Whitehaven and a good job for us when we in the position we were in 2002. The 2003 season was something special and he instilled a lot of pride in the team and they played some really good rugby. We stuck some points on teams that season. I don't think he really hit those heights again as a coach, as the novelty seemed to wear off. 2005 was a great year, obviously, but there was a peroid between losing at Wigan and Johns coming in that it looked like the wheels had fallen off the season. Losing at Huddersfield in the manner we did was incredibly difficult to swallow after having hit that run of 11 wins from 12. That was typical of his reign; we were too inconsistent. We looked as close as we have since 2001 - and since he left - to beating Saints under Cullen, but we also lost badly at Salford and were thrashed at Cas on his watch.



I doubt he could handle a 'top' job, as he's probably too much 'one of the boys'. You get the impression he didn't distance himself from the payers as well as he should have done. While this obviously created a good relationship, he seemed to lack any real authority over his squad and some players would walk all over him.

Spot on.



Cullen did a fine job for the task he was brought in for, which was to firstly save us from relegation, and then setting us in the right direction both results-wise and recruitment-wise.



However, it became obvious that he lacked that certain something which would enable us to take that final step to being a competitive, trophy-winning side...For a number of years we have had a squad, which while not world-beating, was definitely under-acheiving, and ultimately, the finger of blame would point at the coach.



For a good analogy, take a look at Man City right now....A very decent, highly expensive squad in place, but they have a complete buffoon in charge of them....Put Mouriniho in charge of that lot and City would become a differrent club completely.



Cullen wasn't a buffoon, but he definitely became out of his depth.....

He stayed far too long because the board supported him in blind faith. He was on a good screw and coaching at the largest club he ever would. This was his crack at the big time.



His lack of success, in my view, was a) the inability to get quality players to play to their ability b) to get sort out the chronic defensive problems c) to be too close with some of the players and to not weed out the drinking culture/bad apples.



I just see 2006-2008 as wasted years. I say it now, I said it then.

Arrgrgrgggghhhh we won 2/6.

Think Cullen will get good reception on boxing day as he changed Wire, they were battling with relegation the season before he took over, look at them the past couple of season's always near or in the play offs.



He's already done good job at Widnes, in first season incharge he already won a throphy

Maybe, but the Cullen 'effect' was that he gave everybody a common goal....There was a definite belief in the early days of Cullen, that things were different and not just a case of Wire drifting aimlessly towards more mediocrity, which is definitely what it was like under Plange....Even if we had survived under Plange, things would still have been downbeat, simply because the man himself wasn't THE man, if you get my drift.



With Cullen, there seemed to be a plan at least, and for the most part he carried out that plan reasonably well.

The players still go out for a beer or two, or is it because weve won something that it goes unnoticed

i bet tony smith doesnt join them in stockton heath every friday night.

A good bloke. Stayed too long. Too close to the players. Simple.

Yeah I get your drift. PC sold us a vision and went a step towards it in 2005 before failure.



I think people do seem to forget that Plange contributed more, in terms of league points in 2002, than PC did, yet he gets no credit at all.

Probably tainted by association with Anderson, plus he was a complete outsider with absolutely no qualification to be in charge of Wire....Cullen, at least, had the 'local boy' tag to fall back on, and he undoubtedly had the gift of the gab as well...