"A matter of time and I hope he believes that": Wayne Mardle sees major success incoming for Josh Rock despite Littler ruthlessness

Wayne Mardle believes Josh Rock should take huge confidence from his latest performance against Luke Littler at the Grand Slam of Darts, despite falling to another painful defeat after holding an early lead.

Rock surged three legs clear in the early stages, but Mardle pinpointed a key moment where the match swung back towards the World Champion who plays in the Grand Slam semi-finals this afternoon.

“There was a little moment there where Josh got three legs in front, but then there was a finish — I think it was 90 — that stemmed the tide a bit, and from then Josh was always chasing,” Mardle said. “That’s when the run started of those seven legs.”

Mardle said that Littler’s ruthlessness in key moments makes him almost impossible to stop in full flow. “They just make fewer mistakes. Luke and Luke make fewer mistakes than any other players on the planet. That’s why they’re so difficult to beat. That’s why they produce the numbers, and that’s also why, over this kind of format, they are — because that’s hard to break down.”

Despite the loss, Mardle was full of praise for Rock’s scoring power and composure under pressure. “Josh Rock played a great game. A great game. So many great finishes. So many 180s, 140s under pressure — but in the end, it’s that constant, relentless nature of Luke Littler’s play that really did the damage.”

Rock has now led Littler on several big stages without converting the win, but Mardle insists this latest setback shouldn’t dent his belief.

When asked what Rock can learn from the defeat, Mardle said the Northern Irishman must focus on the level he consistently produces, not the names across the oche.

“The way he has to look at it is that if he continues to play like that, he’ll be absolutely fine. Forget about whether it’s Luke Littler, Humphries, Price, MVG — it’s the fact that the standard Josh Rock plays at is a winning standard.”

“Because he didn’t win doesn’t mean that that standard doesn’t win. It will win, and he’s just got to do it at the right time. Don’t get impatient about winning or losing; just think, ‘I am a world-class operator every single day of the week.’”

Mardle highlighted that Rock’s lowest performance of the tournament still yielded a win, emphasising the strength of his overall game. “His worst game — his worst game — was against Connor Scott. He won that. That’s the positive.”

Confident that Rock is following the right trajectory, Mardle believes it’s only a matter of time before he enjoys a deep run on the major stage.

“I just think it’s a matter of time for Josh Rock, and I hope he believes that.”