Wayne Mardle: I told Gerwyn Price to appeal against his DRA fine

Price was subject to the biggest financial sanction ever levied against a professional darts player. The DRA sought to make an example of the Welshman by charging him on three counts of breaching their regulations. It resulted in fines tallying £21,500, as well as a suspended three-month ban. Many have leapt to Price's defence, such as , while others have been less sympathetic. Mardle, speaking to , revealed that he took up his defence of Price with the man himself. "I've told him to appeal it - I've told him to his face," said the Sky Sports pundit. "You don't accept that, because if he accepts it, it's like 'we're right and you're wrong, don't ever act like that again.' "We saw him in The Masters and he was an absolute shell of a man, he was beaten by the system, the DRA and the boo boys. "I said to him "you've got to act like you and if they keep fining you and banning you, you've got to find a way of playing it" and in the Premier League I thought he was absolutely magnificent."

Price put the controversy to one side to seal his first Premier League win. A resounding 7-4 win over Daryl Gurney bodes well for a player many, like Mardle, want to succeed.
"I like Gerwyn, I've got a lot of time for him, I don't like these robots who play darts.
"I like people who get up there, enjoy it and show whether they're enjoying it or not."

Mardle aimed his ire at the DRA, who he believes have set themselves a dangerous precedent.
"Do I think it was overzealous? Yes I do. It's way beyond what anyone's ever been fined before, and if it goes in relation to what a human being has won then they have got to be careful.
"Because if something happens in a world final where someone wins half a million and, in a couple of year's time, a million - what are they going to start fining then when someone does a minor misdemeanour which is normal 500 quid, is it then 20 or 30 grand for more or less nothing.
"They've got to be careful, the DRA, because they're going down what I think is the wrong road," he added.
"He won 100 grand so for that one event it was the best part of 20 per cent.
Did he deserve it? I don't think so."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYtS58pw2wc