"If I play my game, I can beat everyone in this tournament": Justin Hood bullish about being 'hard to beat' after dream Ally Pally debut

Justin Hood marked his debut on the Alexandra Palace stage in style as he delivered a composed, high-quality performance to book his place in the next round of the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship.

Playing under the bright lights of Ally Pally for the very first time, Hood showed no signs of stage fright, producing a display he described as both enjoyable and deceptively tough. “I enjoyed it up there,” Hood said post match. “It was tougher than it looked. I played well. I punished him when he was struggling and out of it and yeah, I'm happy with the performance.”

A three-figure average on debut underlined just how comfortable Hood looked on the sport’s biggest stage, although he was quick to downplay the significance of the numbers. “Yeah, it's standard,” he said. “I have another 10 points on that next game, or 10 points less.”

One of the standout aspects of the performance was Hood’s ability to shut the door on his opponent, limiting opportunities and maintaining constant scoreboard pressure. “My scoring's always been good and doubles let me down a bit,” he explained. “But if you don't give them a chance, it doesn't matter, does it? Just score every in. I have three or four darts at double instead of one.”

Victory sent Hood through to a second-round clash against either Danny Noppert or Jurjen van der Velde, with Noppert ultimately progressing to set up the meeting. While respectful of both players, Hood made it clear that his focus is firmly on his own game.

“I'm very happy, very happy,” he said. “But I'll be even happier when I beat Danny or Jurjen next game. Really tough match next, possibly.

“I've played Danny three times, I've beaten him twice. And if it's Danny, it's Danny. If it's Jurjen, it doesn't bother me. If I play well, I can win.”

Despite insisting that winning is always the priority, Hood admitted that averages still matter to players behind the scenes — particularly when there are rivals to outdo. "We all want to win, but I don't care what anyone says,” he said. “We all look at the averages backstage. We all want to be the best and Luke had 101. I wanted to beat that and I didn't tonight, but I'll beat his next game.”

Hood also appeared to soak up every moment of his Ally Pally experience, cutting a relaxed figure during his walk-on, though he remained coy when asked whether fans could expect anything extra next time.“We'll wait and see,” he smiled.

Preparation, he insisted, was no different to any other event on the calendar, with routine and self-belief key to handling the occasion. "It's just what I do all year,” Hood said. “It's the same with the ProTours. I'll get here three or four hours earlier than it starts and just chuck darts.

“I know how good I am and how good I can be. If I play well, I win. If I don't, I'll still get chances. You've got to take them. I played well today. I'm happy.”

Reflecting on his debut at the venue, Hood felt there was only one thing missing. “If the nine went in, yeah,” he laughed. “But no, I won the game. The average is a bonus and it gives you confidence for the next game, but I'm over the moon with the way I played to get the win. Nick's a class player.”

Hood’s dominance was reflected in the limited chances afforded to his opponent, who had just four darts at a double throughout the match — a statistic Hood viewed as a by-product of his own performance rather than his opponent’s struggles. “I don't care what they do at the end of the day,” he said. “Nick's a good friend. If he plays well, I've got to play better. I wouldn't say he struggled. I played really well and, like you say, I restricted him. I'm happy with what I've done today.”

Looking ahead, Hood is brimming with confidence after a strong maiden year on tour in 2025, which saw him impress on the floor and secure Euro Tour qualification. “Win the Worlds this year and be in the Premier League,” he said when asked about his goals for 2026.

With a showdown against Noppert now confirmed, Hood knows the challenge only increases from here — but he would not have it any other way. “I treat every player the same,” he said. “We wouldn't be here if we weren't good. Every player is capable of beating everyone.

“If I play my game, I can beat everyone in this tournament. If I don't, they can beat me. If I play like that, I'm going to be hard to beat.”