"If you put him up against anyone, you want to watch": 'Ready' Josh Rock tipped for comfortable Premier League play-off spot in debut season

Northern Irish World Cup winner, Josh Rock has been tipped to make the play-offs during his debut season in the Premier League by pundit and former major champion, Paul Nicholson sees him making the play-offs in his first year.

The World Cup winner was selected in the eight who will play in the travelling roadshow alongside Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton and Stephen Bunting.

He reached three televised semi-finals at the UK Open, World Matchplay and World Series of Darts Finals this season. He becomes the second player to feature in the event from Northern Ireland with Daryl Gurney being in three previous versions of the event. Nicholson said after it was confirmed that he would be involved that he is 100% ready to compete with the elite and deserves his inclusion.

Rock was perhaps a player with a bit of conjecture when it comes to his Premier League pick originally with a multitude of different players vying for the spot in the elite eight. 'Rocky' has been class at times this year but at others has flattered to deceive in majors but also consideration has to be brought in that he did lose to Justin Hood who was the outsider at the PDC World Darts Championship.

But while he gets his first shot at the Premier League, he will also reach the play-offs in the belief of Nicholson who sees him as a comfortable top four player in the format and that in reality, he ticks all boxes in regards to who he is playing too. This with ties against Luke Littler, Gian van Veen among others all likely to jump out on paper and make him perfect for the format with a fresh face ready to showcase his abilities.

"He's been ready for about six months to be included in this Premier League,” he said on the Love the Darts podcast. "But when you think about some of the potential fixtures that he's going to have multiple times....they're the kind of games you want to watch.

"So when Josh is up against Littler, you know it's going to be great. You put Josh up against Gezzy (Gerwyn Price), you think, oh yeah, sign me up. If you put him up against anyone, you want to watch Josh Rock. It's as simple as that and that's why he's in this Premier League.

"He's a great commodity and he's ready to great guns for 16 or 17 straight weeks, and he's someone who can manage a very busy schedule. I expect him to be pushing for the play-offs, if not comfortably making it."