Cross vows: “Write me off at your peril”

By Phil Lanning

EXCLUSIVE

ROB CROSS has vowed “write me off at your peril” after a shock second successive elimination from the Premier League.

The 2018 World Champion, despite picking up five points in his opening four matches, was sent crashing out of the title race after four defeats on the bounce.

But Cross, 30, is adamant that his form is coming back and will return to glory which brought him the World Championship, Matchplay and European major titles less than two years ago.

He said: “Obviously I’m gutted. It’s my own fault I just missed vital doubles which cost me big time in the last match of the first block against Peter Wright. I then did the same when I played Gary Anderson when we returned on Monday.

“It’s literally one or two missed doubles which did the damage. But you can’t do that in darts anymore. You need to pretty much hit everything all of the time or you get punished. 

“My form and love of the game is 100 per cent better than it was a year ago. I’m working with a new backroom team and we are making progress. This is just part of the journey.

“What I will say is that write me off at your peril. People don’t really know the real me. On the outside I’m easy going. But inside I’m massively motivated and I don’t like to lose trust me. It hurts a lot.

“There are so many people out there who like to stick the boot in when you’re down. Everyone is suddenly an expert on how I should throw or what I’m meant to be doing wrong.

“The truth is I’m not doing much different than I was when I won the Worlds and Matchplay so all the judgemental stuff is total rubbish.

“I’m just lacking a bit of belief at times but that will return. People can say what they want, but I’ll be back.

“I have great backers behind me like Garry Plummer at Target Darts, Namos Solutions and RBS Scaffolding. I also have amazing fans. I will return to form and repay the faith they’ve all shown in me.”

Images by Taylor Lanning.