at in their 2002 Super League Grand Final victory against the Bradford Bulls. Over the course of his career, Cunningham rejected offers from the Welsh Rugby Union, England Rugby Union, and from various Australian rugby league clubs, instead choosing to remain with his hometown team. In 2006 Cunningham was named as captain of St. Helens following the persistent injuries and subsequent retirement of Paul Sculthorpe. Cunningham played for St. Helens at in their 2006 Challenge Cup Final victory against the Huddersfield Giants. St Helens reached the 2006 Super League Grand final to be contested against Hull FC, and Cunningham played at , scoring a try in Saints' 26-4 victory. As 2006 Super League champions, St Helens faced 2006 NRL Premiers the Brisbane Broncos in the 2007 World Club Challenge. Cunningham played from the interchange bench in Saints' 18-14 victory. He played in the 2009 Super League Grand Final defeat by the Leeds Rhinos at Old Trafford. In 2010, Cunningham announced that he would be retiring from rugby league following the culmination of 2010's Super League XV. 2010 also marked the last year at St Helens' Knowsley Road ground before moving to a new stadium. It was, in fact, Kieron Cunningham who scored the last try ever at the prestigious ground in his penultimate match. However, despite a memorable 2010 play-offs for Cunningham, there was to be no fairytale ending as his last game ended in defeat against arch rivals the Wigan Warriors in the 2010 Super League Grand Final. He finished his career with 496 appearances for St Helens, scoring 175 tries. During his career he won five Super League Championships, seven Challenge Cup Winners Medals and two World Club Challenge Winners medals, was named in the Super League Dream Team on six occasions, and in July 2007 Rugby League World magazine ranked him as the greatest player of the Super League era. Following a supporters' poll featuring the likes of Tom van Vollenhoven and Alex Murphy, Cunningham was chosen to be cast as a bronze statue outside of Langtree Park. The statue was unveiled on Chalon Way opposite the Glass House pub in March 2010 and was relocated to the stadium following its completion in October 2011. Coaching career Following his retirement as a player, Cunningham took up an assistant coaching role in the strength and conditioning department at St Helens. After the sacking of Royce Simmons in 2012