Josh Rock reveals awkward bathroom howler left his hands NUMB and sparked Premier League Darts defeat

Northern Irishman blames Belgian backstage soap for losing grip during 6-2 thrashing by Michael van Gerwen in Antwerp

Josh Rock has revealed the bizarre reason behind his disastrous Premier League performance in Antwerp—claiming the soap in the backstage bathroom left his hands completely numb and cost him any chance of competing against Michael van Gerwen.

The 24-year-old world number nine suffered a humiliating 6-2 quarter-final defeat on night two of the Premier League, averaging a worrying 79.34 and missing 11 of 13 checkout attempts in a performance that left Sky Sports commentators baffled.

Now Rock has come clean about what went wrong, admitting an awkward pre-match toilet visit proved his undoing.

“I Just Could Not Feel It At All”

“I went to the toilet just before I went on stage and obviously you wash your hands after going to the toilet, so I put the soap all over my hands and the next minute I’m up there, and I was like, ‘This isn’t going to go well’,” Rock explained.

“I just could not feel it at all. So now we’ve got a plan B, I’ve got a bit of chalk and wax in the case from now on”.

Rock blamed the handwash in the venue toilets for leaving his hands numb and costing him crucial grip on stage, with the slippery residue preventing him from properly gripping his darts throughout the entire match.

Desperate Measures

Television viewers watching the match noticed Rock’s increasingly desperate attempts to restore his grip as the contest slipped away from him.

“I knew I couldn’t grip my hands and no matter how much I was trying to lick my fingers, rub my finger up and down a barrel to get my fingers rough, it wasn’t working, so I just let that one go,” Rock admitted.

The 24-year-old was seen wiping his hands repeatedly on his trousers and licking his fingers multiple times at one stage during the quarter-final contest—actions that confused commentators and fans who were unaware of the soap-related crisis unfolding before their eyes.

Immediate Realization

Rock’s natural reaction to his struggles wasn’t panic but rueful laughter, because he knew instantly what had caused the problem.

World number nine Rock admitted his natural reaction to his struggles against seven-time champion Van Gerwen was to “laugh straight away” because he “knew what the problem was”.

“If I played like that and didn’t know what the problem was then, obviously we have an issue,” he added.

The honesty is refreshing—Rock knew he was beaten from the moment he threw his first dart but had no choice but to endure the full 6-2 hammering while unable to properly hold his equipment.

Van Gerwen Pounces

Michael van Gerwen, oblivious to his opponent’s predicament, sensed vulnerability and ruthlessly exploited it.

The Dutchman controlled the match from start to finish, punishing Rock’s missed doubles with clinical efficiency. Van Gerwen went on to reach the final, defeating Luke Littler 6-4 in the semi-finals before falling 6-3 to Gerwyn Price.

For Rock, the defeat was doubly frustrating—not only did he lose comprehensively, but he knew he hadn’t been given a fair chance to compete due to his own pre-match hygiene routine.

Social Media Apology

Shortly after his defeat, Rock addressed his performance with a candid post on social media.

“Want to apologise to everyone who watched me. I felt fantastic up there but had no grip in my fingers. It is what it is. We move on. All the best @mvg180 [Michael van Gerwen]”, he wrote.

The apology demonstrated Rock’s professionalism and accountability, even as he privately knew the real culprit was Belgian backstage soap rather than any fundamental flaw in his game.

Plan B Implemented

Rock has moved swiftly to ensure the embarrassing incident never happens again.

“Now we’ve got a plan B, I’ve got a bit of chalk and wax in the case from now on”, Rock confirmed, revealing his solution to the grip crisis.

“I didn’t have to use it in the Players Championship this week, so it is fine”, he added, suggesting the problem was specific to the soap used at the AFAS Dome in Antwerp rather than a recurring issue.

Looking Forward to Antwerp

The revelation is particularly ironic given Rock’s pre-match enthusiasm for the Belgian leg of the Premier League.

“Apart from Belfast, I was more looking forward to Antwerp, but it didn’t go to plan,” Rock admitted ruefully.

The Northern Irishman had been excited to perform in front of the sold-out 23,000 crowd at the AFAS Dome, only to have his big moment ruined by an ill-timed bathroom visit.

Winless After Two Nights

The soap-induced disaster leaves Rock as one of two players still without a point after two Premier League nights, alongside Stephen Bunting at the bottom of the table.

His opening night defeat to Jonny Clayton—where he averaged over 101 but ran into a rampant opponent posting a near-110 average—was respectable. The Antwerp soap debacle was anything but.

Glasgow Redemption?

Rock faces another huge challenge in Glasgow on Thursday when he takes on world number two Luke Humphries in the quarter-finals.

As a staunch Rangers fan, and with Celtic in Europa League action, he hopes to have the crowd on his side.

“Luckily, Celtic are playing in the Europa League tomorrow, so hopefully they’re all out and there’s only Rangers fans in,” he joked. “I’m close to Scotland, I’m literally a two-hour boat or a quick 10-minute flight over the water. So I would love it to happen”.

“It’s on the day. If I turn up, I win. If I don’t turn up, I don’t win,” Rock added with characteristic confidence.

Wayne Mardle’s Concern

Sky Sports analyst Wayne Mardle expressed concern that two consecutive defeats—regardless of the reasons—could damage Rock’s confidence heading into subsequent matches.

“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.”

The comparison to Bunting’s eight-match losing streak last season highlights the psychological danger of early-season defeats in the Premier League, even when circumstances are mitigating.

The Verdict

Josh Rock’s soap confession ranks among the most unusual explanations for a poor darts performance in recent memory. Yet his honesty is admirable—rather than making vague excuses about being “off,” he identified the specific problem and implemented a solution.

The chalk and wax now permanently residing in his case should ensure Belgian backstage soap never sabotages another Premier League appearance. Whether Rock can bounce back against Humphries in Glasgow will determine if the Antwerp soap disaster was merely a bizarre footnote or the beginning of a concerning winless run.

For now, Rock can take solace in knowing his 79.34 average and 11 missed doubles weren’t indicative of his true form—they were the unfortunate consequence of an awkward bathroom howler that left his hands numb at the worst possible moment.

As he told his followers: “It is what it is. We move on.” And with chalk and wax now in his arsenal, the next time Josh Rock visits a backstage bathroom before a Premier League match, he’ll be armed and ready to restore his grip before stepping onto the oche.