Daryl Gurney has hailed 24-year-old Northern Irish darts prodigy Josh Rock as a potential rival to Luke Littler, declaring, “The sky is the limit for him,” in an exclusive talkSPORT interview on June 16, 2025, per @talkSPORT. Rock, absent from the 2025 Premier League Darts lineup, has been backed to challenge the 18-year-old world champion Littler, who dominated the PDC circuit with a World Championship title and five Premier League nightly wins in 2025, per BBC. Gurney’s praise underscores Rock’s meteoric rise, with fans and analysts on X, like @DartsNews_DE and @Dartsnieuws, echoing the sentiment that Rock “can compete with Littler,” per @DartsNews_DE and @Dartsnieuws.
Rock’s Rapid Ascent
Rock, ranked No. 18 on the PDC Order of Merit, turned pro in 2022 after winning the PDC World Youth Championship, per Wikipedia. His 2024 season included a Players Championship title and a European Championship semi-final, where he lost 11-8 to Littler, averaging 101.3, per PDC. Gurney highlighted Rock’s fearless style, noting, “He’s got no nerves… he just throws,” and predicted he could match Littler’s impact, per talkSPORT. Rock’s 104.7 average in a 2024 Grand Slam of Darts win over Michael van Gerwen showcased his potential, per DartsMad.
Littler’s Dominance and Comparison
Littler, dubbed ‘The Nuke,’ redefined darts in 2025, becoming the youngest world champion (17 years, 347 days) with a 7-3 win over van Gerwen and hitting two Premier League nine-darters, per Sky Sports. His minimal practice—astounding rivals like Chris Dobey, who said, “He barely practices,” per GB News.—sets a high bar. Rock, however, shares Littler’s youth and boldness, with Gurney noting their similar “no-fear” mentality, per @talkSPORT. Unlike Littler, Rock’s absence from the Premier League, which featured top players like Luke Humphries and Gerwyn Price, limits his exposure but fuels his underdog narrative, per Sky Sports.
Future Prospects
Rock’s path to rivalling Littler hinges on major titles. Gurney suggested a World Championship semi-final run in 2026 could propel Rock, who reached the 2024 quarter-finals, losing 5-3 to Littler, per PDC. His odds for the 2026 World Championship are 25/1, behind Littler’s 3/1, per Oddschecker. With the World Cup of Darts (June 12–15) and World Matchplay upcoming, Rock’s chance to shine looms, per Sky Sports. X user @DartsFanatic88 called him “the next big thing,” reflecting growing hype, per.
