ROCK BLAMES HIMSELF FOR DIP IN FORM

JOSH ROCK admits he has been “lazy” and only has himself to blame for his recent dip in form.

‘Rocky’ has been one of the standout stars of 2025 after lifting the World Cup of Darts for Northern Ireland and winning Players Championship 10 in Leicester.

Antrim thrower Rock also made back-to-back Euro Tour finals earlier this year and climbed into the world’s top ten for the first time in his career.

But Rock crashed out in the second round of the World Grand Prix and then suffered a 6-4 first-round exit to Ricardo Pietreczko at the European Championship in Germany last month.

The 24-year-old believes the slump is self-inflicted after taking his foot off the gas with practice.

He told Off The Ball: “If I am being honest I have been a bit lazy.

“I did a lot of practice when I was over there [in Germany] but leading up to it I didn’t do much.

“It’s my own fault because the last two or three weeks I have not been performing like I have been the whole year.

“It’s given me the kick up the backside to wake up.

“I thought the crowd [in Dortmund] was fantastic with me. The first game is always the hardest because you really want to win.

“Then after that it gets easier to get into the tournament because the format for the first match is first to six.

“It’s hard sometimes to get started.

“Everybody has a bad day, and you just have to gob it.”

Rock says he’s now working on tightening up his finishing and has turned to former Masters champ John O’Shea for help.

He added: “I’ve got some advice from John O’Shea who has given me a few new practice routines with doubles because that is my weakest point.

“There is not much wrong with my scoring so I have just some new bits to try out at home.”

World No.10 Rock has been strongly tipped for a Premier League call-up next season — but he insists he hasn’t done enough to deserve it yet.

He continued: “It would be something that I would be proud of, and I would love to play in the Premier League.

“But I don’t think I’ve done enough to get into it, so that’s why I need to give myself a kick up the backside and try to win something.

“We are in the business end of the year now because all there is left to play are the majors.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.