From aggression on stage to friends: Gerwyn Price and Daryl Gurney recall their first impressions of each other

Gerwyn Price and Daryl Gurney have previously had on court needle so to speak and their ties have been full of aggression in the past. But that has somewhat calmed down, both have a lot of respect for each other these days.

Speaking back during lockdown, they both discussed their first impressions of each other after breaking through at similar times albeit with different routes into the sport. Price of course coming from rugby and Gurney from the amateur game.

"I think I saw Daryl a few times playing on TV, obviously he wasn't on there as much as he is now. But I used to be wary of all top players. So I was probably more wary of him than he was of me, but maybe that tide has turned a little bit and I've earned a bit more respect than I did maybe in 2014, 2015. But I knew he was a good scorer and I had to be on my A game to beat him. I'm lucky I've improved and caught up with him and a few of the others."

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"I had no idea who got the tour cards as I think I got mine the previous year. So for me playing in the ProTours in the first year you don't really quick. You have to be a Van Barneveld or a Mervyn King to have a great first year on the ProTour," said Gurney.

"Everyone who wins their card can play darts and it comes down to how well can you play darts over 11 legs now. But obviously the leaps and bounds he's taken now. All the stuff I used to do when I played him years ago in giving aggression I've stopped doing that and whenever I was playing Gezzy and he can do it now and gets away with it. I'm like oh god I forget how to do it. So what he does to me I want to do back to him, but we can barely sneeze on the ProTour so it's a bit hard to get back at him."