Joe Cullen insists missing the Grand Slam of Darts earlier this month was the break he needed after a gruelling couple of years.

The Wyke ace admitted he has "struggled a bit" away from the oche, but he is now feeling fresh heading into the Players Championship Finals, which start tomorrow night at Butlin’s in Minehead.

The world number 13 told the T&A: “I did have one last chance to make the Grand Slam through a qualifying event, but I’ve played so much over the last couple of years.

“I’ve struggled a bit away from darts, so I thought the best thing for me was to not try and qualify.

“I feel refreshed now for having had that time off.”

Opening up further, the Bradford thrower said: “People sometimes don’t realise your life isn’t just the darts.

“You do so much travelling, and that takes time away from being with your family and kids.

 “It’s just taken its toll, because the last couple of years have been non-stop for me.

“Having two and a half to three weeks off is unheard of with our calendar in darts unless you decide to miss tournaments, which is why I decided to not take that final chance to qualify for the Grand Slam and just focus on the Players instead.”

Cullen begins his campaign in Minehead as the 22nd seed, with his opener against Jamie Hughes tomorrow night.

Hughes is the 43rd seed, so his Bradford opponent will be the favourite to progress.

However, Cullen warned: “It’s a short format and it’s the first round.

“I’ve got a good record down the years against Jamie, but it’s just about getting the job done against him this week.

“I don’t care if I win ugly, I just want to get through, because I always say the first round is the toughest at the Players Finals.”

Cullen did well at this tournament last year, but was blown away by Luke Humphries in the quarter-finals.

Humphries might have lost in the last-four to eventual champion Michael van Gerwen, but he won the Grand Slam last week and has been in red-hot form all year.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Luke Humphries has played some sensational darts over the last 12 months.Luke Humphries has played some sensational darts over the last 12 months. (Image: PA.)

Discussing his rival, Cullen said: “Those who are casual fans might see the likes of Michael and Gerwyn (Price) as the biggest names in the sport, but those of us within darts know just what Luke is capable of.

“He’s actually the bookies’ favourite for the World Championship next month, which shows how far he’s come in the game.

“For me, Luke’s the best player in the world at the moment.”

Cullen knows it is no use concentrating on anyone other than himself this weekend, at a place the Wyke native always embraces.

He said: “It’s a great venue at Minehead.

“If I was a fan and wanted to go and watch darts for the weekend, I’d do it at this tournament.

“There are two boards up until the quarter-finals, so you can take loads of games in and it’s real value for money.

“There are nightclubs and pubs all around the venue too and the fans love it there.”

A strong performance at Butlin’s would solidify Cullen’s spot in the world’s top 16, but he admitted: “Being in the top 16 of the Pro Tour Order of Merit is more beneficial than being in the top 16 in the world really.

“I’ve dropped to 18th in the Pro Tour one, which means I’ll need to qualify for all the European Tour events for now.”