"This week he didn’t get into it because he was so poor, he's got things to think about": Wayne Mardle shows concern for Josh Rock

The dream start Josh Rock had hoped for in the Premier League Darts has yet to materialize. The Northern Irishman endured a painful night in Antwerp and was convincingly beaten 6-2 by Michael van Gerwen in the quarterfinals. With an average of just 79.34, Rock produced a level far below his usual standard. According to former pro Wayne Mardle, that is exactly what will hurt him the most.

Rock, currently world number nine, began this Premier League season full of ambition. His debut in the prestigious competition was widely seen as a logical next step in his rapidly rising career. Yet after two nights, his tally still stands at zero points. He lost to Jonny Clayton on opening night in Newcastle, and Antwerp brought another blow against Van Gerwen. After two match nights, ‘Rocky’ sits stranded at the bottom of the table. A win is urgently needed to reconnect with his confidence.

While defeats in the Premier League Darts are not disastrous in themselves, Mardle saw reason for concern mainly in the way Rock performed. "The Premier League is not about winning early doors, it’s about feeling okay. If you feel okay after losing three weeks on the bounce, it’s alright. You can get away with it because you feel confident enough you are playing well enough."

According to the Englishman, that is precisely Rock’s problem now. “It’s like Stephen Bunting loses eight on the bounce last year — he wasn’t playing poorly, he then wins one. That will hurt Josh Rock because last week he didn’t get into the game because of Jonny Clayton.

“This week he didn’t get into it because he was so poor. He’s got things to think about. Josh Rock won’t be able to forget about that until he puts things right.”

During the match against Van Gerwen it was clear Rock struggled with his grip. The player himself later confirmed that feeling on social media. "

“Want to apologise to everyone who watched me. I felt fantastic up there but had no grip on my fingers," he penned on social media. “Is what it is, we move on. All the best MVG.”

The contrast with his usual game was stark. Rock is known as a heavy scorer with natural flair on the board. In Antwerp, however, the smoothness and conviction were missing. His first nine darts didn’t yield enough, and on the doubles he couldn’t land a blow against a solid Van Gerwen, who closed the match out professionally.

In his analysis, Mardle referred to Stephen Bunting’s situation last season earlier on. Bunting lost eight matches in a row at the time, yet by most accounts kept playing solidly. Eventually the tide turned and he managed to win a night.