The quarter finals of the Australian Darts Masters is upon us.
The opening quarter-final tie sees world number four Stephen Bunting take on World Series debutant Josh Rock.
Bunting joined Jason Pine for a chat about the Masters and the success he’s had so far this year.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks, it'd be show.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Is this your first trip to New Zealand, Steven.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
No, No, I was there ten years ago.
Speaker 4 (00:18):
I did the the Auckland Arts Masters ten years ago,
so it's nice to be to be coming back to
New Zealand, to Auckland and I'm really looking forward to me.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
You are coming in great form. Four World Series finals
this year, two wins. Only Gary Anderson and Phil Taylor
have ever won three in a year. What are you
doing so well right now?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
I think just believing in me on ability.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
Obviously, playing against the best players in the world every
week now is really improving my game, going in sharp
and feeling good. So it's all about turning up here
once showing my best arts on the other side of
the world, and yeah, I'll keep them trying to improve.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Have you always though, believed in your own ability? That's
not something that's just happened in the last little while,
is it.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
No?
Speaker 4 (01:00):
No, There's been obviously times over the last probably four
or five years where felt down and the dumb and
ready to walk away from the game. But I'm in
the best possible mind state of the mina. I feel
unbelievable with me dart. I'm enjoying it and walking around
with a smile on my face, and to get to
come to these countries who can enjoy darts and I'm
so happy.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
What keeps you going in the more challenging times.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
I think obviously it was well documented to seeing a
sports psychologists and a hypnotist and they rarely changed my
mindset the way I thought about the game and stuff.
And obviously seeing the fans over the last few years
it has been a massive help. Tearing up to tournaments
and people shouting and chanting me name now being well
number four, getting up to the high in the rankings,
(01:46):
and keeping to improve, seeing that improvement in the backstages
and on the biggest stages of the world, and yeah,
I think that's really really helped. And obviously the darts
is just getting bigger and bigger, and I'm one of
the biggest names of the minute, well number four and
just enjoying life.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
To be fair, how much of the sport is confidence?
How important is that?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
I think it's the most important thing.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Going in with any confidence, especially when it's high, you
can win any single title.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
You want. Obviously the players.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
The standard of playing now is increasing every year, so
to keep up with that, we've got to work hard
behind the scenes, do all the tournaments we can and
make sure that we keep ourselves to the top of
our game, and obviously winning breeds confidence. So I've won
a few tournaments this year as well, which has rarely helped,
and confidence sky high. Like I said, I'm coming into
to Australia and New Zealand on great form and long
(02:41):
way that continue.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Absolutely right in Poland recently ran a rap to Goobin
price but eight seven in the finals, so it could
have gone either way. But on the way you beat
Luke Littler and the semi's everything one hundred and four
point one two terrific semi final. Tell us a bit
about that match.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
Yeah, obviously, anytime you play Luke you know you need
to play to your best ability. He's such a fantastic
player and he's the reason why darts are so popular
now At the minute, everyone speaks about Luke little and
no matter watch sport you watch, so it was really
important to get that win over him. I know I
gave everything to that game, but he never went away
(03:17):
even when I got on top of him. He was
still clawing back law and back, and yeah, it's so
important that when you get so far ahead of an opponent,
you've got to finish them off and that's what I
was able to do.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
But he's such a great character.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
He's brilliant for our sports and we're going to have
many more battles over the coming years.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Well.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Of course you had one at the World Champs at
the start of the year in the in the semi finals.
How do you reflect back on your on your most
recent appearance at La Pelly in the World Champs right
at the start of twenty twenty five.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
Yeah, I think that's been a catalyst, to be honest,
to be able to move forward this season. I think
obviously getting to the semifinals was a massive achievement for me,
obviously pushing myself up the rankings back up to well
up to a world high of well on before now.
So it's been really great, to be honest, it's been
It's helped me on the World saidies, getting back into
(04:07):
that playing Premier League as well, which has been amazing.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
And obviously I know that I still need to.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Work hard to be able to do this for the
for the seeable future, and I'm trying to do that.
And yeah, I'm sure PDCC how well I'm doing. And
they they obviously looking after next year's already, so I
want to be back in them. I want to be
doing these well said the year after year, and I
want to be competing at a daughter at the highest level.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
And that's what I'm going to try and do.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
And especially against these these young whipper snappers like Luke
Little and who are coming through and other players who
are there, It's going to be difficult. But yeah, I'm
not getting any younger, but I'm getting more hungry to win.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Titles that simmy, are you average to hundred? And that's simmy.
How does it feel when you throw so well but
but you still don't win.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
You've just got to take your hat off, to be honest.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
Obviously, when when I know that I'm playing well, I
can't get up too upset in the game. I can
I come away from that game, to be honest, I was.
I was upset that a loss, but I think the
before Morman's levels, I took a lot of confidence away
from that, which helped me build towards the rest of
the season. As you've seen, I've won a few titles
this year as well, the World series titles and stuff.
So yeah, I'm really happy with the way we form
(05:18):
is consistent wise as well. I'm one of the most
consistent on the on the on the tour at the minute,
and that makes me dangerous and yeah, I just I
just feel like I'm part of the part of the
PDC now top four, playing with Premier League, all the
well sadies, and yeah, it's a great time to be
a dark player as well, and I'm just reaping the
(05:38):
rewards and enjoying every little bit.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
You'll walk on song one of the Beast Titanian, How
did you land on that song?
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Yeah, it's my son's favorite song, so obviously the bulletproof
tagline and nothing to Lose it sort of fits really
really well. And yeah, that was that was a big
part of moving forward, trying to rebrand myself. I've gained
a lot of fans with the walk on and stuff,
and yeah, lots of people knowing now just for the
(06:07):
walk on, I think I needed to get away from
the family I walk on as well.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
It was a bit too gimmicky and stuff.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
So I'm glad I've done that, and I've got a
proper song now that everyone can relate to. When everyone
hears it now they know it's my song, and yeah,
it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
You talk about a rebrand there, and look, you've become
a viral sensation on social media, TikTok and all of
the others as well. How important is that, you know,
to increase your own profile but also the profile of
the sport itself.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Yeah, I know it's massive, and it's about showing you
personality as well. It's nothing's feet, everything's theirs real. I'm
just a normal lad who's living his dream to be honest,
and it's nice to be able to show everyone, especially.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
On like TikTok is.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
It's all a bit of fun, but it's my personality
and it's showing people a different side to the darts
as well. I'm not just a dark player. I'm a
normal person and it's nice to show people what we
can do as well. There'll be some funny stuff coming
on me YouTube over the next next year, so there's
We've got a lot of things planned, but obviously i'm
first and foremost. I want to do well on the
(07:12):
darts as well and keep you profile high on that.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
What's the camaraderie like among the world's top players as
you move around all over the globe now to play, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
All the players are rarely friendly, to be honest, we
see each other more than family, so we are pretty
much one big family, to be fair, and we play
that much darts together. We know each other's dietary requirements,
to be honest, so yeah, we get along really well.
It's great, great camaradi we have. But obviously when we
get up on them stages, we want to beat each other.
(07:44):
So we can't get too palid when we're up on
the stages because yeah, they're taking the money out of
my pocket.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Here's your favorite double? Changed much over the.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
Years, And yeah, I would say so because I keep
missing double sixteen, So double top and double sixteen, I
mean me too my favorite? But yeah, I think any
double I can hit is my favorite, to be honest,
at the minute.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Is there any double that that not just you but
players don't like it? On a double three or har
I don't know. Is there any double that you really
don't like?
Speaker 4 (08:15):
I think double one's got to be one of them,
although sometimes we do end up on double one quite
a lot. But yeah, it's a bit of a scary double.
If you come inside you bust and there's no other
other goal. So yeah, i'd say double one or double three.
As you said, you come inside you've left three. It's
a bit more awkward, so yeah, double three or double one.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
I would say, can't wait to see you here in
Auckland for the New Zealand Darts Masters Stephen A delight
to check to you mate, all the beast in Australia
first and can't wait to see you when you get here.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Thank you anymore.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news Talks it'd be weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on I Hard Radio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks, it'd be show.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Is this your first trip to New Zealand, Steven.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
No, No, I was there ten years ago.
Speaker 4 (00:18):
I did the the Auckland Arts Masters ten years ago,
so it's nice to be to be coming back to
New Zealand, to Auckland and I'm really looking forward to me.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
You are coming in great form. Four World Series finals
this year, two wins. Only Gary Anderson and Phil Taylor
have ever won three in a year. What are you
doing so well right now?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
I think just believing in me on ability.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
Obviously, playing against the best players in the world every
week now is really improving my game, going in sharp
and feeling good. So it's all about turning up here
once showing my best arts on the other side of
the world, and yeah, I'll keep them trying to improve.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Have you always though, believed in your own ability? That's
not something that's just happened in the last little while,
is it.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
No?
Speaker 4 (01:00):
No, There's been obviously times over the last probably four
or five years where felt down and the dumb and
ready to walk away from the game. But I'm in
the best possible mind state of the mina. I feel
unbelievable with me dart. I'm enjoying it and walking around
with a smile on my face, and to get to
come to these countries who can enjoy darts and I'm
so happy.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
What keeps you going in the more challenging times.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
I think obviously it was well documented to seeing a
sports psychologists and a hypnotist and they rarely changed my
mindset the way I thought about the game and stuff.
And obviously seeing the fans over the last few years
it has been a massive help. Tearing up to tournaments
and people shouting and chanting me name now being well
number four, getting up to the high in the rankings,
(01:46):
and keeping to improve, seeing that improvement in the backstages
and on the biggest stages of the world, and yeah,
I think that's really really helped. And obviously the darts
is just getting bigger and bigger, and I'm one of
the biggest names of the minute, well number four and
just enjoying life.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
To be fair, how much of the sport is confidence?
How important is that?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
I think it's the most important thing.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Going in with any confidence, especially when it's high, you
can win any single title.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
You want. Obviously the players.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
The standard of playing now is increasing every year, so
to keep up with that, we've got to work hard
behind the scenes, do all the tournaments we can and
make sure that we keep ourselves to the top of
our game, and obviously winning breeds confidence. So I've won
a few tournaments this year as well, which has rarely helped,
and confidence sky high. Like I said, I'm coming into
to Australia and New Zealand on great form and long
(02:41):
way that continue.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Absolutely right in Poland recently ran a rap to Goobin
price but eight seven in the finals, so it could
have gone either way. But on the way you beat
Luke Littler and the semi's everything one hundred and four
point one two terrific semi final. Tell us a bit
about that match.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
Yeah, obviously, anytime you play Luke you know you need
to play to your best ability. He's such a fantastic
player and he's the reason why darts are so popular
now At the minute, everyone speaks about Luke little and
no matter watch sport you watch, so it was really
important to get that win over him. I know I
gave everything to that game, but he never went away
(03:17):
even when I got on top of him. He was
still clawing back law and back, and yeah, it's so
important that when you get so far ahead of an opponent,
you've got to finish them off and that's what I
was able to do.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
But he's such a great character.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
He's brilliant for our sports and we're going to have
many more battles over the coming years.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Well.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Of course you had one at the World Champs at
the start of the year in the in the semi finals.
How do you reflect back on your on your most
recent appearance at La Pelly in the World Champs right
at the start of twenty twenty five.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
Yeah, I think that's been a catalyst, to be honest,
to be able to move forward this season. I think
obviously getting to the semifinals was a massive achievement for me,
obviously pushing myself up the rankings back up to well
up to a world high of well on before now.
So it's been really great, to be honest, it's been
It's helped me on the World saidies, getting back into
(04:07):
that playing Premier League as well, which has been amazing.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
And obviously I know that I still need to.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Work hard to be able to do this for the
for the seeable future, and I'm trying to do that.
And yeah, I'm sure PDCC how well I'm doing. And
they they obviously looking after next year's already, so I
want to be back in them. I want to be
doing these well said the year after year, and I
want to be competing at a daughter at the highest level.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
And that's what I'm going to try and do.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
And especially against these these young whipper snappers like Luke
Little and who are coming through and other players who
are there, It's going to be difficult. But yeah, I'm
not getting any younger, but I'm getting more hungry to win.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Titles that simmy, are you average to hundred? And that's simmy.
How does it feel when you throw so well but
but you still don't win.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
You've just got to take your hat off, to be honest.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
Obviously, when when I know that I'm playing well, I
can't get up too upset in the game. I can
I come away from that game, to be honest, I was.
I was upset that a loss, but I think the
before Morman's levels, I took a lot of confidence away
from that, which helped me build towards the rest of
the season. As you've seen, I've won a few titles
this year as well, the World series titles and stuff.
So yeah, I'm really happy with the way we form
(05:18):
is consistent wise as well. I'm one of the most
consistent on the on the on the tour at the minute,
and that makes me dangerous and yeah, I just I
just feel like I'm part of the part of the
PDC now top four, playing with Premier League, all the
well sadies, and yeah, it's a great time to be
a dark player as well, and I'm just reaping the
(05:38):
rewards and enjoying every little bit.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
You'll walk on song one of the Beast Titanian, How
did you land on that song?
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Yeah, it's my son's favorite song, so obviously the bulletproof
tagline and nothing to Lose it sort of fits really
really well. And yeah, that was that was a big
part of moving forward, trying to rebrand myself. I've gained
a lot of fans with the walk on and stuff,
and yeah, lots of people knowing now just for the
(06:07):
walk on, I think I needed to get away from
the family I walk on as well.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
It was a bit too gimmicky and stuff.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
So I'm glad I've done that, and I've got a
proper song now that everyone can relate to. When everyone
hears it now they know it's my song, and yeah,
it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
You talk about a rebrand there, and look, you've become
a viral sensation on social media, TikTok and all of
the others as well. How important is that, you know,
to increase your own profile but also the profile of
the sport itself.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Yeah, I know it's massive, and it's about showing you
personality as well. It's nothing's feet, everything's theirs real. I'm
just a normal lad who's living his dream to be honest,
and it's nice to be able to show everyone, especially.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
On like TikTok is.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
It's all a bit of fun, but it's my personality
and it's showing people a different side to the darts
as well. I'm not just a dark player. I'm a
normal person and it's nice to show people what we
can do as well. There'll be some funny stuff coming
on me YouTube over the next next year, so there's
We've got a lot of things planned, but obviously i'm
first and foremost. I want to do well on the
(07:12):
darts as well and keep you profile high on that.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
What's the camaraderie like among the world's top players as
you move around all over the globe now to play, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
All the players are rarely friendly, to be honest, we
see each other more than family, so we are pretty
much one big family, to be fair, and we play
that much darts together. We know each other's dietary requirements,
to be honest, so yeah, we get along really well.
It's great, great camaradi we have. But obviously when we
get up on them stages, we want to beat each other.
(07:44):
So we can't get too palid when we're up on
the stages because yeah, they're taking the money out of
my pocket.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Here's your favorite double? Changed much over the.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
Years, And yeah, I would say so because I keep
missing double sixteen, So double top and double sixteen, I
mean me too my favorite? But yeah, I think any
double I can hit is my favorite, to be honest,
at the minute.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Is there any double that that not just you but
players don't like it? On a double three or har
I don't know. Is there any double that you really
don't like?
Speaker 4 (08:15):
I think double one's got to be one of them,
although sometimes we do end up on double one quite
a lot. But yeah, it's a bit of a scary double.
If you come inside you bust and there's no other
other goal. So yeah, i'd say double one or double three.
As you said, you come inside you've left three. It's
a bit more awkward, so yeah, double three or double one.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
I would say, can't wait to see you here in
Auckland for the New Zealand Darts Masters Stephen A delight
to check to you mate, all the beast in Australia
first and can't wait to see you when you get here.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Thank you anymore.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news Talks it'd be weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on I Hard Radio
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