CROSS DETERMINED TO REBUILD AFTER MENTAL HEALTH BATTLE

ROB CROSS insists the HUNGER is back after illness derailed his bid for major glory.  

‘Voltage’ had a difficult 2025 campaign despite picking up the Players Championship One and Dutch Darts Masters crowns.  

World No. 20 Cross has battled mental health issues away from the oche, which have impacted his performances.  

But Cross admits he is in a much better place this season after working behind the scenes and is now looking to rediscover his best form.  

He told Oche180: “I’ve always loved routine in life, and I’ve started to get one now. I’m a bit more settled in life than I was six to eight months ago.  

“I know I spoke out at the Worlds — I’m a lot happier as a human being, as a person really.  

“So it’s all big pluses for me. It’s a long year, and I’m going to try and play in everything.  

“I lacked tournaments last year and the year before because playing in the Premier League and the World Series takes it out of you.  

“There’s a lot to gain back, but I just need to get back to work with this new head. With what I’m trying to do in the background, it’s going to help me massively.

“The hunger has come back and, legitimately, last year I experienced stuff and had certain things go wrong in my life.  

“So, it is not really darts-related sometimes. It is a busy schedule, but I can’t really blame darts — I’m not that type of person.  

“I will work on myself and try to address it now. It is something I have not done before.  

“I know the game is still there and I know I’m still good. I look at it like I still have ten good years left in this game.  

“If I play to the best of my abilities, I know I can beat anyone in the world. I also know if I was where I was six months ago, I would lose to anyone in the world.  

“So I just need to get up there and start enjoying life and playing regularly — start grabbing some ranking points.”  

Cross has made a steady start to the year, reaching the fourth round of the World Championship and the last 32 of the first two ProTour events.  

The Sussex thrower missed out on a place in the Premier League line-up but views it as a blessing in disguise.  

He added: “In regard to me not being in it this year, I suppose I am going to miss it.  

“But doing all this new stuff, it wouldn’t be possible to try and sort myself out by being in it.  

“I think it just gives me time to do what I want to do. I get to work on myself.  

“I think I’m guilty sometimes — you put your big boy pants on and you think to yourself, ‘We will carry on the same gravy train.’  

“I think personally not having the Premier League or anything illustrious will give me that time to reflect on myself, to make sure I can do something.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.