Rock was arguably excited and confident about his chances ahead of night one in Newcastle, but he was instantly reminded of the relentlessly high standard.
Jonny Clayton punished the 24-year-old in a gripping quarter-final clash, coming from 2-0 down in legs to win 6-2 while posting a 109 average.
The Northern Irishman couldn’t do anything to halt Clayton’s relentless treble-hitting on debut and soon followed that up with an even worse performance against Michael van Gerwen in Antwerp.
Rock never looked comfortable on stage and confirmed after the game that he had issues with his grip. That arguably explained why he posted the seventh-lowest average in the competition's history (79.34) and was demolished 6-2 by Van Gerwen.
Following two disappointing appearances on the Premier League stage, ‘Rocky’ will be determined to reach his usual top-class standard in Glasgow.
Rock could face more Premier League heartache
Ask Peter Wright in 2024 and Stephen Bunting in 2025, and they will tell you how unforgiving the Premier League schedule is.
Wright’s tumble down the world rankings started in this competition two years ago when he won just two of his 18 matches. Bunting, on the other hand, recorded just seven victories from 22 games last year and was controversially invited back for the PDC’s premier tournament.
‘The Bullet’ has since started 2026 winless from the opening two nights, and even bottled a four-leg lead to lose 6-4 against Clayton in Antwerp.
Bunting is nailed on to battle towards the bottom of the Premier League, unless his fortunes drastically change, and Rock will want to avoid becoming the tournament’s scapegoat across 15 nights.
A tough beginning doesn’t get any easier for Rock, though, ahead of his showdown against Luke Humphries in Glasgow on Thursday.
The world No. 2 won his first Players Championship since October 2024 in Wigan on Tuesday after beating Wessel Nijman 8-6 in the final. He also showcased his dominance in a last-16 triumph over Bunting and a semi-final victory over Gerwyn Price.
Humphries averaged 100-plus in six of his seven matches across the day, including a 104 average in the final against Nijman, making him a scary proposition for any player in night three of the Premier League.
Rock can bounce back from poor Premier League start
An in-form Humphries playing at the top of his game wipes the floor with Rock based on his poor start to the tournament.
But the youngster will be determined to return to the form that saw him beat some of the world’s best players in 2025. ‘Rocky’ won the World Cup of Darts in June while partnered with Daryl Gurney, and also reached the semi-finals of the UK Open and World Matchplay.
Rock cemented his place in the PDC’s top 10 following an excellent year, and even though he suffered defeat against Justin Hood in the World Championship round of 16, there is still more to come from him.
The numbers even reinforce that point, with only Luke Littler, Humphries, Price and Gian van Veen averaging more than Rock’s 98.02 in the past year. He’s equally capable of being a punisher on the doubles, too, with the world No.9 posting 40 per cent on the checkouts in the same period.
Knowing that he can match or even exceed his opponents for maximum hitting - placing sixth for 180s in the past year - suggests he should do his best to forget the first two nights and focus on demonstrating his incredible talents.
Michael Smith made a bad start in 2022
A bad start to a Premier League campaign is recoverable for any player, and Michael Smith almost reached the play-offs in 2022 after beginning with zero wins from his first three nights.
‘Bully Boy’ suffered defeats against Wright, Clayton and Price before finally breaking his duck with a win over Joe Cullen on night four.
Smith ended that tournament just two points behind the top four, and that was after winning only one event – night 16 in Newcastle against Clayton.
The former world champion proved that being competitive is possible following a winless start. So, even if Rock does lose to Humphries in Glasgow, he doesn’t need to panic.
However, a victory against the current Premier League holder could truly kickstart his campaign and prove why he belongs among the PDC’s elite.