Darts royalty Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor believes that rising star Josh Rock is destined to be crowned king at Alexandra Palace.
The Antrim ‘Rocky’ will be one of the most feared upstarts when the PDC World Championship begins on Thursday night. World number 47 Rock faces Jose Justicia (112) in the first round on Saturday and has been priced as low as 16/1 to land the greatest prize in darts this year.
And Taylor, whose record of 16 world titles is unlikely ever to be broken, thinks it is only a matter of time before 21-year-old Rock becomes the Oche Balboa of his trade.
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When Rock hit a televised nine-darter against Michael van Gerwen at the Grand Slam last month, he looked like the most exciting sportsman to emerge from Northern Ireland since Rory McIlroy.
Taylor, 62, said: “Since I stopped playing, nobody has really narrowed the gap to my 16 titles but there are some cracking players out there now.
“Josh Rock has really impressed me. He hasn’t just got the skill, he’s got a nice attitude to go with it.
“He’s good to watch, the crowds are going to love him.
“You don’t hit a nine-darter against Michael van Gerwen at the Grand Slam, live on the box, if you’re not a serious player.
“Now’s the time when we’ll find out because he’s landed in the deep end. It’s sink or swim, but he’s got something special and he can only get better over the next few years.
“He looks capable of going to Ally Pally and making a statement.
“The top players are setting the bar high these days – but there’s always room at the top of your Christmas tree for the brightest star.”
Taylor has become an unofficial consultant behind old rival Raymond van Barneveld’s comeback at the age of 55. The Power was 52 when he landed the last of his PDC crowns in 2013, but Barney – who ended world No.1 Gerwyn Price’s reign as Grand Slam champion last month with a brilliant 16-13 win which rolled back the years – is climbing the charts again.
With the Dutchman seeded No.32 at Ally Pally, Price and Barney are on a potential collision course in the third round.
Taylor said: “Barney was scared at the Grand Slam – when I say scared, I mean worried that he wouldn’t cope over the longer course, and I was texting him regularly to encourage him.
“I told him, ‘Save your strength for the actual game, just practise four or five times a day, 20 minutes at a time, to keep your eye in so you’re ready mentally.’
“I’m giving him little nuggets of advice here and there if I think it will help him, but he’s been round the block.
“I would love to see Raymond do well again, but I said to him, ‘What are you worried about? You’ve played the best players in the world for years, come out of the blocks and show them who’s the boss’.
“He hasn’t forgotten how to play darts. It’s more a question of him being mentally ready.”
Taylor will also be keeping a beady eye on the three women in this year’s 96-player field – Beau Greaves, Fallon Sherrock and Lisa Ashton.
But he does not go along with Sherrock’s poison-pen critics on social media, who claim the Queen of the Palace was lucky to make the cut after the PDC retrospectively announced her success at the inaugural Women’s World Matchplay in July was her qualifying ticket.
Taylor said: “She deserves to be there because she’s been good for the game.
“I do feel sorry for the person who would have been next cab off the rank after playing all the floor tournaments and getting the ranking points.
“But commercially, she’s worth every penny.”
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