Wright Hopes to be Fit After Freak Shoulder Blow
PETER WRIGHT is hoping to be 100 per cent again after a freak shoulder injury wrecked his Unibet Premier League hopes a week ago.
Snakebite was left in agony when pain suddenly soared through his right shoulder just prior to his clash with Michael Smith in Nottingham.
But Wrighty, 48, is now fighting fit and ready for another great homecoming to the SSE Hydro in Glasgow against Raymond van Barneveld.
He revealed: “The pain suddenly came on during the afternoon in Nottingham, no reason, it just happened.
“We tried massage and some special lotion but it just didn’t have enough time to work before playing Michael.
“It seems to be OK now, I’m a bit wary of it obviously because it came out of nowhere. But thankfully I should be fit for Glasgow. It means a great deal to me to come back to the Hydro as Scotland No 1.
“I love playing at the Hydro. The atmosphere is just out of this world, the Scots always give me such a loud welcome, it’s just fantastic and I just want to win for them.
Wright has a great record against RVB with just two defeats in a dozen clashes over the past three years.
But he expects a special atmosphere with Barney, also a big darling of the Dartan Army. He added: “Raymond is a friend of mine and it will be great to play him in Glasgow.
“The fans love him in Glasgow so our game will be really special to play in. He’s a class act and has looked good the last couple of weeks. I think it will be a great match.”
GARY ANDERSON is hoping to continue his epic form and go from Toy Story to Hydro glory. The Flying Scotsman returns to his stage tonight (Thurs) in Glasgow to face Simon Whitlock in the Unibet Premier League. Ando, 47, is the No 1 darling of the Dartan Army and will get an spine-tingling reception from the 10,000 sell-out. But the Musselburgh ace has prepared for his big night by TOY shopping for his son Tai’s birthday next week. He admitted: “I don’t know what would feel busier. The toy shop or the Hydro. “When you stand on the stage at the Hydro, it feels like you have to look straight up in the air to see the people near the back rows. “That’s what it was like in the toy shop. Shelf after shelf of it. I’ve never seen so much kit. “Rows and rows of everything you could imagine, my brain was burst after about five minutes. “When I was wee, it was like all you had was a toy car, toy soldiers, or a ball or a train set. “Now it’s like a mountain of anything, all shapes, colours and designs. It’s brilliant for the kids and, although you can’t argue about not having much to pick from, it’s also all a bit crazy for the adults. “Trying to plough through it all and pick something isn’t that easy, I’ll certainly feel a bit more at home and comfortable on the stage than I did trying to sift through that lot.” It won’t be an easy night for Ando. Whitlock is back to being the Beard to be Feared and has silenced the Scots fans before by beating the double world champ in Glasgow. Anderson went 27 matches without defeat before the weekend, romping to three titles within a seven days. But, after three successive PL draws, it’s a vital four-pointer against the Wizard of Oz. He added: “I’m looking forward to coming home. It’s only twice a year but it means the world to me and I just hope I can get a result for the fans at The Hydro. “Perhaps I should just play at the weekends. On a Saturday and Sunday everything is flying in, no so much on Thursday nights. That’s frustrating. “I do feel pretty good, I’m enjoying myself and that’s important. It would have made a huge difference if those draws had been wins in the Premier League. “But that’s darts. They’ve not been wins and I’ve not deserved to win them, if anything I’ve been a bit fortunate to take the three draws having had to comeback to get a point in all of them. “That’s happened to me a few times so perhaps I’m owed a bit of luck. But the league table doesn’t lie. “It’s not a disaster but it’s not where I want to be either. But we’ll keep going. Onto Glasgow and that’s always pretty special and hopefully it will click again.”
ROB CROSS has revealed he’s turning himself into a BAD BOY to get in-shape for a Unibet Premier League title charge. The World Champion arrives at the SSE Hydro Glasgow on Thursday night to face Gerwyn Price having won his last four PL clashes. But Voltage, 27, admits that his sharper performances are down to playing Badminton every week to get fitter. He revealed: “I’m now playing badminton to get myself fitter. I do that every Monday now, I have to admit it crippled me for a few days which wasn’t great! “It’s just something to keep me active. I feel great at the minute because of that, it clears my mind and makes me feel sharper in body and mind. “I’ve not done that for a long time, I got a little bit lazy with my fitness. The truth is if you don’t look after your body you’re heading for an early grave. “I’ve not played in Glasgow yet in the Premier League and it’s meant to be very loud. I’m just glad I’m not playing a Scot! “The crowds play big parts in games, they can actually decide the winner at times. When they are that judgemental of players and get involved, it can be a factor. “I’m looking forward to Glasgow. The Scots are fiercely patriotic, great fun and love a good time and I love that about the place. “There’s a job to do. The plan is that I want to top the league. That’s a big call right now but I always aim for the highest point and that’s served me well so far in my career. I just want to be the best and I’m getting there.” Cross has admitted that the first month of this year, following his shock world title win, was like an “outer body experience”. But he has gradually improved as the weeks roll by and is now close to the player that blitzed all before him at the Alexandra Palace. After crushing Suljovic last week, Cross added: “Coming into that game Mensur was the man in form really. I wasn’t really celebrating, just get on with the game. “I felt great especially my doubles which hadn’t been working for a few weeks and that’s the result of working hard. “I play a lot of 201 in practice, that’s what Michael and the other top boys do. Everyone can hit 180s, it’s the setting up and doubles that win you legs and matches. “In practice my scoring has been a lot more relentless, that hasn’t shown really this year yet. I’ve got more to come, another gear I reckon. “It all revolves around the family. The Premier League was a big shock to the system, being away for the end of each week and then weekend with the Pro Tours. “It was all about establishing a routine to keep my family and my practice happy. The first fortnight I wasn’t in any sort of good place. “Now I am. The family are happy, I get to be with the kids on Mondays and Tuesdays then it’s work from then on and we’re all in a good place, that reflects in my form.”
DUTCH master Raymond van Barneveld has blasted that his career isn’t over until he says so. The five-times world champion is fighting back from a terrible run of results as he struggles with Diabetes. But on the eve of facing Peter Wright in the Unibet Premier League in Glasgow on Thursday night, Barney vows he’s far from finished. The darling of the Dartan Army revealed: “I’m telling you, it’s not over with Ray. When it’s over, I say it’s over. “Sometimes if you are in a circle of bad play. I have a lot of defeats so you never have a positive thinking in your mind. “I start thinking ‘is this me, am I done?’ My management stood up and said Ray this has to stop. “They did a fantastic job to get me back in shape in just three days. So we continue to work hard in the gym now and practising and don’t give up, still believing. “I’m sure fitness will tell your brain you are good enough, you can do anything you want. But if you don’t do it, you sit there on the couch every single day watching your phone and series of films and doing nothing. “Now you go out in the gym and trust me it was hard. Because I still want to belong to Barry Hearn’s best and we never give up. “I’m still happy with the result last week but I realise I need to work even harder now to get in Rotterdam for both nights and then maybe in the Play-Offs at the O2. “Everyone is thinking that we play darts with our arms but we play darts in our heads. As soon as your head is right you can do it all. “If you keep on winning you have positive things in your head and you never ever think about losing.” RVB, 50, came from behind to beat Gerwyn Price in Leeds a fortnight ago, a fightback that spared him slumping into the relegation zone. The he drew with Gary Anderson last week and is now focused heavily on staying in the league for the double Dutch dates in Rotterdam on April 18 and 19. He added: “They were important games for me especially when the PDC announced one extra night in Rotterdam. Bu that night is after Judgement Night so as a Dutchman of course it’s a lot of pressure, you want to be there. “You want to be there especially on the Thursday but you want to be there even more now. “So we knew that Gerwyn was on two points and I was on three, if I was to lose Gerwyn would go above me. “Then with the schedule against Gary Anderson, Peter Wright, Michael van Gerwen, Michael Smith, it’s going to be tough. “At the end I was practising really well, everything was going in well, the finishes. Then on stage it just never happened. “I fought back with a 121 finish. I made some mistakes and thought ‘what is this?’ It was never consistent. “So of course it was an important win. Now I’m on six points, Gerwyn is on two. But I have to work hard always. “Last week I was in the gym for two days and I’m doing even more now this week to get fit. “There is pressure every single day. In the UK Open I should have lost my first game against Mike Norton. He was playing amazing and missed six match darts to beat me. “Everyone can beat anyone up. Mensur Suljovic beat Peter Wright 7-1 two weeks ago. Did you ever expect that? “All these newcomers are the best in the world otherwise they never get picked. Daryl Gurney, Rob Cross are so good.”
By Phil Lanning (@lannomedia)
GARY ANDERSON is hoping to continue his epic form and go from Toy Story to Hydro glory. The Flying Scotsman returns to his stage tonight (Thurs) in Glasgow to face Simon Whitlock in the Unibet Premier League. Ando, 47, is the No 1 darling of the Dartan Army and will get an spine-tingling reception from the 10,000 sell-out. But the Musselburgh ace has prepared for his big night by TOY shopping for his son Tai’s birthday next week. He admitted: “I don’t know what would feel busier. The toy shop or the Hydro. “When you stand on the stage at the Hydro, it feels like you have to look straight up in the air to see the people near the back rows. “That’s what it was like in the toy shop. Shelf after shelf of it. I’ve never seen so much kit. “Rows and rows of everything you could imagine, my brain was burst after about five minutes. “When I was wee, it was like all you had was a toy car, toy soldiers, or a ball or a train set. “Now it’s like a mountain of anything, all shapes, colours and designs. It’s brilliant for the kids and, although you can’t argue about not having much to pick from, it’s also all a bit crazy for the adults. “Trying to plough through it all and pick something isn’t that easy, I’ll certainly feel a bit more at home and comfortable on the stage than I did trying to sift through that lot.” It won’t be an easy night for Ando. Whitlock is back to being the Beard to be Feared and has silenced the Scots fans before by beating the double world champ in Glasgow. Anderson went 27 matches without defeat before the weekend, romping to three titles within a seven days. But, after three successive PL draws, it’s a vital four-pointer against the Wizard of Oz. He added: “I’m looking forward to coming home. It’s only twice a year but it means the world to me and I just hope I can get a result for the fans at The Hydro. “Perhaps I should just play at the weekends. On a Saturday and Sunday everything is flying in, no so much on Thursday nights. That’s frustrating. “I do feel pretty good, I’m enjoying myself and that’s important. It would have made a huge difference if those draws had been wins in the Premier League. “But that’s darts. They’ve not been wins and I’ve not deserved to win them, if anything I’ve been a bit fortunate to take the three draws having had to comeback to get a point in all of them. “That’s happened to me a few times so perhaps I’m owed a bit of luck. But the league table doesn’t lie. “It’s not a disaster but it’s not where I want to be either. But we’ll keep going. Onto Glasgow and that’s always pretty special and hopefully it will click again.”
ROB CROSS has revealed he’s turning himself into a BAD BOY to get in-shape for a Unibet Premier League title charge. The World Champion arrives at the SSE Hydro Glasgow on Thursday night to face Gerwyn Price having won his last four PL clashes. But Voltage, 27, admits that his sharper performances are down to playing Badminton every week to get fitter. He revealed: “I’m now playing badminton to get myself fitter. I do that every Monday now, I have to admit it crippled me for a few days which wasn’t great! “It’s just something to keep me active. I feel great at the minute because of that, it clears my mind and makes me feel sharper in body and mind. “I’ve not done that for a long time, I got a little bit lazy with my fitness. The truth is if you don’t look after your body you’re heading for an early grave. “I’ve not played in Glasgow yet in the Premier League and it’s meant to be very loud. I’m just glad I’m not playing a Scot! “The crowds play big parts in games, they can actually decide the winner at times. When they are that judgemental of players and get involved, it can be a factor. “I’m looking forward to Glasgow. The Scots are fiercely patriotic, great fun and love a good time and I love that about the place. “There’s a job to do. The plan is that I want to top the league. That’s a big call right now but I always aim for the highest point and that’s served me well so far in my career. I just want to be the best and I’m getting there.” Cross has admitted that the first month of this year, following his shock world title win, was like an “outer body experience”. But he has gradually improved as the weeks roll by and is now close to the player that blitzed all before him at the Alexandra Palace. After crushing Suljovic last week, Cross added: “Coming into that game Mensur was the man in form really. I wasn’t really celebrating, just get on with the game. “I felt great especially my doubles which hadn’t been working for a few weeks and that’s the result of working hard. “I play a lot of 201 in practice, that’s what Michael and the other top boys do. Everyone can hit 180s, it’s the setting up and doubles that win you legs and matches. “In practice my scoring has been a lot more relentless, that hasn’t shown really this year yet. I’ve got more to come, another gear I reckon. “It all revolves around the family. The Premier League was a big shock to the system, being away for the end of each week and then weekend with the Pro Tours. “It was all about establishing a routine to keep my family and my practice happy. The first fortnight I wasn’t in any sort of good place. “Now I am. The family are happy, I get to be with the kids on Mondays and Tuesdays then it’s work from then on and we’re all in a good place, that reflects in my form.”
DUTCH master Raymond van Barneveld has blasted that his career isn’t over until he says so. The five-times world champion is fighting back from a terrible run of results as he struggles with Diabetes. But on the eve of facing Peter Wright in the Unibet Premier League in Glasgow on Thursday night, Barney vows he’s far from finished. The darling of the Dartan Army revealed: “I’m telling you, it’s not over with Ray. When it’s over, I say it’s over. “Sometimes if you are in a circle of bad play. I have a lot of defeats so you never have a positive thinking in your mind. “I start thinking ‘is this me, am I done?’ My management stood up and said Ray this has to stop. “They did a fantastic job to get me back in shape in just three days. So we continue to work hard in the gym now and practising and don’t give up, still believing. “I’m sure fitness will tell your brain you are good enough, you can do anything you want. But if you don’t do it, you sit there on the couch every single day watching your phone and series of films and doing nothing. “Now you go out in the gym and trust me it was hard. Because I still want to belong to Barry Hearn’s best and we never give up. “I’m still happy with the result last week but I realise I need to work even harder now to get in Rotterdam for both nights and then maybe in the Play-Offs at the O2. “Everyone is thinking that we play darts with our arms but we play darts in our heads. As soon as your head is right you can do it all. “If you keep on winning you have positive things in your head and you never ever think about losing.” RVB, 50, came from behind to beat Gerwyn Price in Leeds a fortnight ago, a fightback that spared him slumping into the relegation zone. The he drew with Gary Anderson last week and is now focused heavily on staying in the league for the double Dutch dates in Rotterdam on April 18 and 19. He added: “They were important games for me especially when the PDC announced one extra night in Rotterdam. Bu that night is after Judgement Night so as a Dutchman of course it’s a lot of pressure, you want to be there. “You want to be there especially on the Thursday but you want to be there even more now. “So we knew that Gerwyn was on two points and I was on three, if I was to lose Gerwyn would go above me. “Then with the schedule against Gary Anderson, Peter Wright, Michael van Gerwen, Michael Smith, it’s going to be tough. “At the end I was practising really well, everything was going in well, the finishes. Then on stage it just never happened. “I fought back with a 121 finish. I made some mistakes and thought ‘what is this?’ It was never consistent. “So of course it was an important win. Now I’m on six points, Gerwyn is on two. But I have to work hard always. “Last week I was in the gym for two days and I’m doing even more now this week to get fit. “There is pressure every single day. In the UK Open I should have lost my first game against Mike Norton. He was playing amazing and missed six match darts to beat me. “Everyone can beat anyone up. Mensur Suljovic beat Peter Wright 7-1 two weeks ago. Did you ever expect that? “All these newcomers are the best in the world otherwise they never get picked. Daryl Gurney, Rob Cross are so good.”
By Phil Lanning (@lannomedia)