Luke Littler and Luke Humphries contested the final of Premier League Darts last week. It was a replay of the World Championship final early this year, but with a different ending.
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In the two most high-profile major finals of 2024 so far, two players who were not yet born at the time of the founding of the PDC (1994) played. Littler and Humphries combined for 65 legs in those two finals. After losing the World Championship final, Littler did manage to win his first PDC major this time, good for a winner's cheque of 275,000 pounds.
The 18-year-old Littler is well on his way to dominating the sport in the coming years. Notably, a similar situation played out 11 years ago when Michael van Gerwen defeated 16-time world champion Phil Taylor, kicking off the then 24-year-old's legendary career.
For the next four years, the rivalry between Taylor and van Gerwen was the most exciting and fiercely fought in darts. The rivalry between Littler and Humphries could well go the same way. They also seem to be pushing each other to higher and higher levels. PDC analyst Christopher Kempf calculated that in the first five months of 2024, the world champion and the Premier League champion played 140 legs in matches between them. They did so at an exceptionally high level with a combined average of 100.78.
Littler does seem to set himself up as Humphries' "bogey player," winning seven of their eight duels between them that took place after the World Darts Championship final.
Damon Heta defeated Littler at the UK Open
One of Littler's main rivals could be Damon Heta, the Australian number one who eliminated Littler at the UK Open in March. Heta then averaged 106 in that quarterfinal, which was his best performance ever in a ranking match on TV. It is also the only 2024 TV tournament in which Littler, after qualifying, did not make the final.
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Littler recovered somewhat by beating "The Heat" 6-3, 6-2 on the European Tour, but Littler will need to beat Heta often on the to make up for the impact of that loss on the UK Open ranking.
Still, Littler will especially have to take Humphries into account it seems. With Littler still only 17 years old and his biggest rival not yet 30, and with nine matches already in the books this year, this duel could probably effortlessly surpass previous long-standing rivalries such as Phil Taylor-Michael van Gerwen and Phil Taylor-Raymond van Barneveld.
Kieran WoodDarts Journalist
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He contributes to DartsNews.com, where he covers professional darts through news, match reports, analysis, and live coverage across the PDC calendar and major tournaments.
A key part of his work is on-site reporting from leading events. Kieran has covered the PDC World Darts Championship in person, reporting daily from the venue and providing first-hand insight from the tournament. During his coverage, he has conducted interviews with leading players including Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price.
He is also one of the leading voices of the English-language Dartsnews Podcast, contributing regular analysis and discussion on developments across the professional darts circuit.
In his reporting, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles when new, verified information becomes available.
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- Well,I suppose if you don't play the tournaments ,then why should any player qualify? There are players who enter every tournament,and if they don't win it,they carry on, spending money they haven't won,yet certain players seem to think they should qualify. Winners only I thinkrick6714-11-2026
- Everyone knows what a fantastic champion Taylor was,but his performances in the seniors were poor. He wouldn't throw littler off stage,as he'd miss these days!!rick6712-11-2026
- He produced some impressive numbers in that qualifying campaign. I'm excited to see him compete at the World Championship once again, even if it will be difficult to replicate last year's success even with an improved performance, with the draw playing a huge role in determining his fortunes.Deduce635811-11-2026
- I often think about this very question. I think they should revive the format. They could even invite representatives from MODUS Super Series, with four series winners from the past year, and the ADC, with finalists from the Global Championship and perhaps other events. Why not throw in eligible representatives from the JDC and even the soft-tip game too?Deduce635811-11-2026
- So what if littler missed out, he doesnt have to enter everythingant10-11-2026
- Good, absolutely no loss if we never see this dancing goof ever again......no that is not fair. He absolutely cannot and has never been remotely able to dance!richieburnettrocks10-11-2026
- Yes Phil,now the money in the game is bigger than ever,you'd play littler. Well so would I! Retire on your memory Phil,and your successful careerrick6709-11-2026
- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026
