Josh Rock produced a stunning 6-0 whitewash of Joe Cullen at the Hungarian Darts Trophy on Saturday, but the Northern Irishman was far from satisfied with his own recent standards. Despite cruising into the third round in Budapest without dropping a single leg, the world number eight delivered a brutally honest self-assessment, admitting he has been neglecting his practice since the World Matchplay.
“I want to be honest with myself, I haven’t been putting in the time and the effort since the World Matchplay,” said the 25-year-old. “I haven’t been doing a lot of practising and it’s been showing on the board.” Rock’s displays in Australia and New Zealand were a particular concern, as he reached the quarterfinals at both the New Zealand Darts Masters and the Australian Darts Masters but managed only one average above 90 across those two World Series events. “It showed when I was in Australia and New Zealand,” he added. “I need to give myself a kick up the backside and get back on the practice board because it is not very good at the minute.”
The former World Youth Champion refused to make excuses for his dip in form, placing the blame squarely on his own shoulders. “I’ve just been very, very lackadaisical when it comes to the practice board. It is my own fault,” he conceded. “I know what I need to do. I just need to give myself a kick up the backside to kick on.” Rock even revealed he had warned his manager, Rab, not to expect a big win this week due to his lack of preparation.
Despite his harsh self-criticism, Rock showcased his class with finishes of 130 and 116 against an under-par Cullen. The commanding victory earned him a last-16 clash with Chris Dobey on Sunday afternoon in Budapest, with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals. “Obviously, I am very happy to be in the next round and I just need to push on from that,” said Rock, who will be hoping his kick up the backside arrives just in time.
