Nine-dart hero Rock can be world champion – Bunting

Belfast Premier League winner Stephen Bunting says Northern Ireland’s nine-dart hero Josh Rock has the ability to become a world champion in the future.

Bunting saw off Dutchman Gian Van Veen in the final to win the fourth night of competition of this year’s series but had to share the limelight with County Antrim man Rock, who hit the perfect leg during a quarter-final defeat in front of his home crowd.

Bunting’s success saw him secure his first points of the campaign, while Rock sits bottom of the table among the elite eight-strong field without a point to date.

“Josh is such a fantastic player, I’ve been practicing with him over the past few weeks, and his time will come,” said Bunting at the post-event media conference.

“He is one of the best players in the world. People need to get off his back. He was up against the ropes tonight and he pulled out a nine-darter, from nowhere. That shows how good he is.

“I honestly believe that if he knuckles down and keeps doing what he’s doing it’ll only be a matter of time before he wins a world championship.”

Twenty-four-year-old Rock’s consistent performances during the season have catapulted him to the upper echelons of the world rankings and helped him secure a maiden Premier League appearance this term.

“His averages, his scoring, his finishing, he’s got the whole package, and he’s such a young lad as well, so grounded, works really hard, he’s got a lovely family,” added former BDO world champion Bunting.

“He’ll definitely not finish this Premier League with no points anyhow, I can guarantee that.

Bunting expressed satisfaction at getting off the mark in this year’s competition after taking nine weeks to score his first points in the 2025 edition.

The Liverpudlian defeated Luke Humphries 6-4 at the quarter-final stage in Belfast, before whitewashing Night Three winner Jonny Clayton 6-0 in the semi-finals and beating Van Veen 6-2 in the final.

“I took a lot of experience out of last year when it took me a long time to get that first win. I’m happy to have the monkey off my back now.

“I felt like I was playing really well. The first two games obviously went the way I wanted them to go and then to just get over the line, it doesn’t matter about the performance in the final.

“It took that pressure off [beating Luke Humphries in the quarter-final]. I knew the form was there, and how good I can be. I knew it was going to turn, it was just a matter of when.”

The 40-year-old said he was inspired by the atmosphere generated by the crowd at Belfast’s SSE Arena.

“What an atmosphere it was from the moment I set foot on stage for my first match through to hitting the winning double in the final, they [the crowd] were right behind me.

“This is going to live in my memory for a long time. I can’t just go out and play darts without that crowd behind me.