ROCK QUESTIONS WHETHER LITTLER AND HUMPHRIES WILL ‘CLICK’ IN WORLD CUP
11/06/2026 By Aaron Nijjar
JOSH ROCK has questioned whether Luke Littler and Luke Humphries will “click” as England chase World Cup of Darts glory.
World No8 Rock believes doubles darts is a completely different challenge and warned there are no guarantees the sport’s two biggest stars will find instant chemistry.
The lethal Lukes head to Frankfurt as top seeds after a disastrous campaign last year which saw them lose 8-4 to Germany in round two.
Meanwhile, Rocky and Daryl Gurney enjoyed a dream week, beating Wales 10-9 in a thrilling final to secure Northern Ireland’s first title.
Rock admits England have the talent to go all the way but says the key question is whether their partnership will work.
He explained: “You don’t know if they are going to click or not again. Pairs is a completely different game than it is to singles.
“It is up to them two to give themselves a kick up the backside and work together.
“So, that is up to them and everybody else just needs to worry about themselves.”
Rock believes his close relationship with Gurney away from the oche contributed to their success in the major event.
He added: “If you have a very close partnership it really helps a lot.
“It probably takes the pressure off each individual a lot more.
“Obviously, me and Daryl do a lot behind the scenes together so that does help a lot.”
Rock is determined to help Northern Ireland become just the third nation in history, after England and the Netherlands, to successfully defend the crown.
He continued: “It’s very hard to believe it has only been a year. It has been a very quick year. I am really looking forward to defending it.
“There is no pressure on me. I don’t know how Daryl is feeling because I have not spoken to him much about it.
“I didn’t want to think about it too much. But I am looking forward to defending this title.
“It will be better to prove that it is not just a one-off. Nobody knows in darts what is going to happen to anybody.
“But if me and Daryl click again, hopefully it will be the same outcome.”
