ROCK STILL THE HOTTEST PROPERTY BEFORE LITTLER BOOM

JOSH ROCK was the hottest property in darts before Luke Littler and “100 per cent belongs” on the Premier League stage.

Rocky currently sits bottom of the table on eight points and is eight points adrift of the play-off places after 11 weeks of action. 

But there are signs of a turnaround, with the Antrim thrower winning his last four quarter-final matches after going winless in his opening seven. 

Former Tour Card holder and close friend John O’Shea insists Rock is far from the finished article, but says his raw talent is undeniable. 

He told talkSPORT: “He has grown into it. He’s still learning his trade and sometimes he might learn it the hard way. 

“But at the end of the day, he 100 percent belongs there. I don’t think it was a case that he couldn’t adapt to it.

“I just think if he got a win earlier on, I think that table could look different now. 

“I share rooms with him. I know how this boy ticks. There’s a lot of people that don’t know how good this boy is. 

“I remember when we were in Dortmund, his bed was on the right side of me and the bathroom was on the left side. 

“We had a travel board and he gets up, heading to the toilet, picks up my darts and chucks the three of them into the bull and just keeps walking into the toilet. 

“He is 25 years of age. I know Luke [Littler] is exceptional and we might not ever see the likes of that again. 

“Before Luke burst onto the scene, Josh was the hottest property in world darts. 

“I think he has responded. The nine-darter in Belfast I will never forget. The thing is, where did it come from? Because he was not throwing that great. 

“He is so explosive, hitting 95-100 regularly. I have seen better and that is yet to come.” 

Rock returns to action this Thursday in Liverpool and will face Michael van Gerwen as he chases a first nightly win.

Image by Taylor Lanning.