“I’ve definitely not done enough to get in yet”: Josh Rock not thinking about potential Premier League spot, sets title aim instead
Josh Rock bounced back in style at the Grand Slam of Darts with a dominant 5–0 victory over Lisa Ashton — a win he described as “a job that needed doing” after suffering an unlucky defeat on the opening day of group play.Reflecting on his performance at the Grand Slam of Darts, Rock said: “I think it was unlucky yesterday. Not many people average 109 and lose, but that’s darts. You just have to get over it and move on to the next one. I knew what I had to do today, and thankfully I got the job done.”
Despite a superb display in his opener, Rock was quick to put that disappointment behind him. “There’s no point dwelling on it because everybody’s capable of hitting 110, 109 averages these days. You just have to wake up and know you can do the same again — and that’s what I did.”
Rock insisted the pressure of knowing he needed a result didn’t faze him. “I don’t feel any pressure at all. You win your game, you win your game; you lose your game, you lose your game. You just have to accept whatever’s going to happen. Lisa didn’t play to her full potential — there’s no doubt she can do better — but I’m just happy I got the 5–0 win.”
Finding form again
The Northern Irishman admitted that his form in recent weeks hadn’t been where he wanted it to be, but credited renewed effort on the practice board and some help from former World Master John O’Shea for his resurgence. “The last month and a half I was very dry, probably very lazy, to be honest. Then John O’Shea came into Dortmund and we put a lot of time and effort into practising. He gave me practice routines, I went home, did them properly, and it’s showing now.”
Taking ownership of his recent dip, Rock said he had no regrets only a lesson learned. “It’s not frustrating — it’s my own fault. You can’t get frustrated when it’s your fault. I’m just very happy with the time and effort I’ve put in over the last two weeks. I took two ProTours off because I knew my game wasn’t where it should be. I told myself I’d take two weeks off and put all my time into practice — and I’ve done that.”
Praise for Lisa Ashton
Rock also had warm words for opponent Lisa Ashton, who had impressed on the opening day with a win over Gian van Veen. “Lisa’s a legend of the game — she knows it. Four-time Ladies’ World Champion, and she’s in the Ally Pally this year, which is great to see. We had a wee chat before I went on stage — she said if we don’t do well in the Worlds this year and I don’t get to Ally Pally next year, she’s off to the WDF again! She’s got a lot of options for a lady of her age, and she’s doing fantastic.”
Premier League not on his mind
Rock has been vocal in the past about not yet having done enough to earn a Premier League spot, and he reiterated that view. “It’s not on my mind at all. If I don’t get the Premier League, I don’t. If I do, happy days. But I’ve definitely not done enough to get in yet. I’m just going to play my game, try to win the Grand Slam this week — I’d be happy with that. Even if I win the Grand Slam, it might not guarantee me the Premier League, but I’m here to win titles, not anything else.”
Balancing family life and darts
The 2022 World Youth Champion also opened up about the challenge of balancing practice and family life. “When you’ve got two kids at home under the age of nine, there’s a lot of time and pressure. My son’s seven and my daughter’s just turned one, so when you’re home, you want to spend as much time as you can with your kids. I don’t want to stand there for hours practising and take that time away from them. But when you’re a family man, you just want to give them everything you can — sometimes you have to be a bit selfish.”
Rock was quick to credit his wife for her support behind the scenes. “It’s all about who you’ve got behind you. Luckily, my wife’s very, very good to me. She knows what we have to do and what I’m here to do. I really appreciate what she does, especially with the two kids — they’re a handful, but that’s just kids being kids.”
Despite the clean sweep over Ashton, Rock said he isn’t concerned about leg difference as the group stage continues. “I don’t really look at it. I’m playing again Tuesday night — if I play how I can, that’s what matters. It’s the group stage, so you just have to win, regardless of leg difference.”
He also dismissed any suggestion that the Wolverhampton crowd was against him. “I didn’t really notice how the crowd went. After I got beat by Wessel, I just packed my bag, said goodbye to everyone, and left the venue — didn’t hear what went on. The crowd weren’t bad at all today — no booing, no laughing, they just got on with it. Whether that made me the favourite or not, that’s up to them, but they were fine with me out there.”
Final group clash with Gian van Veen
Rock’s final group match sees him take on Dutch star Gian van Veen, who’s been in superb form this season — but Rock insists his approach won’t change. “I’ll just prepare as normal. We’re all in the top 10 players in the world — there’s no point changing anything routine-wise. We all know we can win, that’s why we’re here. So I’ll go in Tuesday night against Gian and prepare the same way.”
With his confidence returning and practice paying off, Rock looks determined to make his mark in Wolverhampton — and perhaps beyond. “I’ve put the work in again,” he said with a smile. “Now it’s starting to show.”
