Josh Rock accepts he may need an edge after being labelled “too nice” as he sits bottom of the Premier League table following six winless weeks. He heads into Thursday’s Night Seven in Dublin hopeful of a change in fortunes; the event is shown live on Sky Sports.
Fellow Northern Irishman Daryl Gurney told Tungsten Tales: “Sometimes Josh is just too nice. He needs to get into his own zone and think, ‘everyone’s here to beat me.'”
Rock conceded there are times when anger helps his game but says it has to be genuine for it to work. “Yes, I could do [channel my anger], but I need something to get me angry. I can’t just put it on. There are times I’ve put the angry head on because something’s annoyed me during a game and I’ve been untouchable. But something like that has to happen for me to get me going,” he said. He added that he goes onstage believing his ability is better on the night and that the current run will turn around.
Outside the Premier League Rock has shown strong form, reaching the UK Open semi-finals for a second consecutive year and hitting a nine-darter in his Belfast quarter-final against Gian van Veen on Night Four. The 24-year-old insists he earned his place in the league: “I haven’t got off to the greatest start… I deserve to be there, I put all the hard work in last year.”
Rock admitted the Premier League schedule and travel have been demanding — he moved house on February 3 and has only been home 11 days — but said he’s still enjoying the experience despite the defeats.
Night Seven takes place at Dublin’s 3Arena on Thursday, March 19. Quarter-final line-up:
– Gian van Veen vs Michael van Gerwen
– Stephen Bunting vs Luke Littler
– Josh Rock vs Gerwyn Price
– Jonny Clayton vs Luke Humphries
Stephen Bunting meets Luke Littler, Rock faces Gerwyn Price for the first time this season, and table-topper Jonny Clayton plays reigning champion Luke Humphries in a repeat of last week’s final. Humphries defends his title as the Premier League continues every Thursday until May, with coverage on Sky Sports and streaming available via NOW.