“Josh Rock is just too nice” – Daryl Gurney urges World Cup partner to get nastier to turn Premier League form around

Daryl Gurney never hides his opinion. The two-time major winner from Northern Ireland knows better than most what it means to play in the Premier League Darts, and especially what it means to do so in front of a home crowd in Belfast.

With compatriot Josh Rock, his World Cup of Darts-winning teammate last year, currently struggling for results in the competition, Gurney was asked the obvious question: what advice would he give him?

The answer was typically Gurney. Open and honest but with clear boundaries. “I’ve been giving him advice the last couple of weeks, but that’s between me and him, so I won’t disclose that,” he told Tungsten Tales.

Still, ‘Superchin’ revealed enough to make his message clear, particularly with Premier League night in Belfast approaching.

Rock earned his Premier League opportunity this year, a stage where Gurney himself was once a regular presence. Results have not yet followed, but Gurney insists that does not tell the whole story. “He deserves to be in the Premier League. I just don’t think he’s shown his full potential yet.”

He pointed to one match in which Rock averaged 102 but still lost. “He was unlucky in the first week. I think he averaged 102 and still got beat. It’s small margins.”

What concerns Gurney more is Rock’s mentality. “Sometimes Josh is just too nice. He needs to get into his own zone and think, ‘Everyone’s here to beat me,’ not the other way around.”

The Premier League, he emphasised, is unforgiving. “I’ve been there, lived it, breathed it. The Premier League is a different animal now.”

Belfast awaits a special night for any Northern Irish player, but one that carries added expectation. Gurney knows exactly how that feels. “I don’t know how Josh works because he’s so calm and collected. Nothing seems to annoy him.”

For Gurney himself, the experience was different. “Playing in Belfast was like a World Championship final. Even talking about it now gives me goosebumps.”

He recalled defeating Rob Cross shortly after Cross had become world champion. “I beat Rob Cross there just after he became world champion.”

The following year was different. “The following year I played him again. I wasn’t fully fit that time, I had pain in my arm, and he beat me.”

Yet the emotional intensity of Belfast remains unmatched in his mind. “To play in Belfast, they’d need four darts to beat me. That’s how I’d feel. I’d treat it like a World Championship final.”

That is exactly the mentality he believes Rock must adopt. “Unless Josh approaches it like that, he could get found out again. But I really hope he gets points on the board soon, because if he doesn’t, he’ll start thinking about it, and then the gap becomes hard to close.”

Rock faces Gian van Veen in the quarter-finals in Belfast, a stern test by any standard. Gurney was blunt about the task ahead. “I’ll be in Belfast supporting him. I’ll give him a shake if he needs it.”

The underlying message was clear: in the Premier League, nothing is handed to you.

Gurney was not only speaking about his compatriot, he also reflected on his own trajectory this season, and there was cautious optimism in his tone.

“Honestly, if my confidence was low, I’d say yes,” he said when asked whether he had felt pressure playing a host nation qualifier in Poland. “But my confidence has been building this year.”

Even on less-than-perfect days, he feels competitive. “I’ve had one or two bad days, but I’ve been there or thereabouts.”

He described the feeling before stepping on stage recently. “I was under pressure until I walked on stage. Once I felt the throw and settled in, I felt good.”

Missed doubles did not unsettle him. “I felt like I had plenty of gears left. If I had needed to focus 110 percent, I feel like I could’ve averaged over 100 tonight.”

His long-term aim remains clear. “At the end of the day, I want to be playing in all the majors this year.”

The interview took place during the Poland Darts Open in Krakow, a country that left a positive impression on Gurney. “It’s a lovely city. I got a taxi from the airport and saw some beautiful buildings.”

He enjoys discovering new destinations on tour. “I love going to new countries, Poland, France, Italy, wherever. It’s great to get out there and see different places.”

With a smile, he added: “I went to the Canaries for the heat, and they’ve come here for the cold, but if that’s what they want, that’s what they want!”

From what he has seen so far, Poland has certainly made its mark. “From what I’ve seen, it’s a beautiful place.”