Josh Rock

I think these darts are going to take me to wonderful places.

From the practice, what I've been doing, to losing to Josh Rock the other week, I think I still averaged 102.

They're a great set of darts and I'm really looking forward to them taking me where I need to go.

Yeah, I mean, in terms of when you practice as a kid in your bedroom, even those traits haven't totally changed, have they? Because you'll now be practicing maybe with Toby.

What's it like being, you know, you've talked about so many of the players in your book and some you haven't mentioned.

But, you know, alongside Chizzy, who are the people you've been so close to growing up when you've mentioned in the book and you consider really close friends for life in darts?

Yeah, I think Josh Rock, definitely, over the last few years, he's probably my best mate in darts now.

He's coming to mine Sunday and then we're travelling to Leicester Monday for the Grand Prix, so we're going to have a few days' practice as well leading into that.

So we've got Stephen Bunting against Andrew Gilding, Ryan Searle, Willie O'Connor, oof.

Uh, Josh Rock v Nils Zonneveld, [laughs] Nathan Aspinall against Kevin Doots.

And if Nathan Aspinall wins that, he could potentially face Luke Littler-

Woo-hoo

And to beat the very best players in the world, you know, to get up there and to beat Gezi Price in a final when he's really coming for you.

To beat Jan van Veen and Josh Rock.

And this is, again, one of the things that... you have to sort of remember is the bracket that he was in like that that quarter that he started that tournament in include you know we we'd all talked about how well rob cross had been looking recently it had josh rock and stephen bunting in you know two premier league players in there as well it had the great michael van gerwen was in there he's worked his way through dispatched everybody then he's met jean van veen then he's met the world number three then he's met guess he probably that the bracket was horrible in his quarter, he's come through it, and then he's beat Jan van Veen and Kezi Price on the telly in an event when it mattered for big money.

Because I know it's not a ranking event, right? But I'd still happily take 100 grand home if it wasn't on my ranking.

I think the world can pretty much accept that whether people like it or not, and I'm all for it, but James Wade is and should going to be there.

If you talk about Ross Smith as well, that's seven.

There are going to be players, big-name players, the Josh Rocks, the Stephen Buntings, the Nathan Aspinals.

They're going to have to do something, and they're going to have to do something quickly in the next few events.

Top half of the draw, going into the bottom half.

Luke Humphries will take on Dave Chisnell, Chris Dobie, Jermaine Watamina, Josh Rock, Neil Zonneville, the Flying Scotsman, Gary Anderson, Damon Hetter, Kian Van Veen will take on Dirk van Dijvenbergen, Ryan Searle, William O'Connor, James Wade, Joe Cullen, and Stephen Bunting.

Andrew Gilding is the draw.

Standout ties then, gents.

He is the number one seed, and he will face Daryl Gurney in round one.

Then it'll be Kevin Dukes against Ross Smith.

Stephen Bunting will take Josh Rock on.

Rob Cross, Ryan Searle, Luke Humphries, Jermaine Watamina, Victor Tingstrom, Dirk van Dijvenbode, Jan van Veen, Chris Doby, Karel Sedlicek, Ben Robb.

Let's put a few names out there.

I mean, Josh Rock has played a couple, I think.

He's a youngster in the future.

Vessel Nyman looks a spectacular player.

Again, a lot of names that you think have had quite a good year.

But when you look at it, Cam Crabtree outside, Merv King outside, Owen Bates, Josh Rock is outside at the moment.

He's got work to do.

Ryan Joyce, Nathan Aspinall, who's going to have to rock up to these final six Pro Tours if he wants to get to Minehead.

The names I want to go back to because we've said loads of times, if you are the title sponsor and you are the TV company and you don't get Luke Littler playing that tournament, that's got to piss you off.

If as well as that, if you're then sat there thinking, well, hang on a minute, this isn't just one of the big name, you know, Premier League level players.

Like if we don't get Luke Littler, but we also don't get Josh Rock and we also don't get Nathan Aspinall.

And we like though, that's not just, that's not just one bit.