DartsNews Podcast | “If we don’t want Littler to win everything...” – Luke Humphries’ changing status gives World Matchplay rivalry fresh edge

Luke Humphries heads back to Blackpool near the very top of the World Matchplay conversation. The title pressure, ranking spotlight and expectation are nothing new.

What has shifted is the noise around him. Luke Littler returns as defending champion after last year’s 18-13 win over James Wade, while Humphries begins on the other side of the draw against Cameron Menzies.

Any meeting between the two Lukes would have to come in the final. Humphries’ tournament starts with Menzies, but the wider rivalry is already part of the Blackpool picture.

Speaking on the latest episode of the DartsNews Podcast, Nicolas Gayer and Kieran Wood discussed Humphries’ place in the sport, the way the tone around him has shifted, and why the Matchplay could again bring that rivalry into focus.

For Gayer, Humphries’ development has not only been about what he does on the board. It is also about the way he has carried himself while darts has changed rapidly around him.

“I have been very impressed with Luke Humphries in how he’s developed as a sportsman, as a player, and as a person as well,” Gayer said. “I think he is growing into that role more and more.”

Humphries has been winning the biggest matches in the sport throughout the Littler boom, but the timing has often placed him across the oche from the story many newer fans were emotionally attached to.

Gayer believes the reaction to Humphries has shifted. “You can see that fans are getting more grateful towards him as well,” he continued. “He was never that fan favourite, but I think he is accepting that role more and more.”

Humphries returns to Blackpool with the same elite expectation, but with a public standing that now feels less awkwardly tied to someone else’s rise.

Wood also referenced Wayne Mardle’s view that Humphries is “the best ambassador darts could wish to have,” a description that has landed more naturally with time.

During the first wave of Littler’s rise, Humphries was often cast in an uncomfortable role. He was producing elite darts and winning huge matches, but still standing opposite the player many fans were willing over the line.

The tone around that rivalry is different now. Littler has become the sport’s headline force, while Humphries remains the established elite reference point alongside him. “If we don’t want Littler to win everything, we need Humphries to be at his best,” Wood said.

Their rivalry has already had another major 2026 chapter, with Littler edging Humphries 11-10 in the Premier League final, before the pair later joined forces for England at the World Cup of Darts.

At the Matchplay, the draw keeps them apart unless both reach the final. Littler’s title defence runs through one half, Humphries’ campaign through the other, with the Phil Taylor Trophy the only possible meeting point.

Gayer’s own prediction went straight to that possibility. “I think Luke Humphries is actually going to win it, and is actually going to beat Luke Littler in the final,” he said.

Before any final talk can develop, Humphries must first deal with Menzies. The Scot arrives in Blackpool after winning a Players Championship title, and his scoring power makes him one of the more awkward unseeded names Humphries could have drawn.

Gayer still expects Humphries to come through, partly because he does not see him drifting into the tournament against that kind of opponent. “With Humphries, I think he is always very careful. He is not going to underestimate any player,” Gayer said. “He knows he has to go there with 100 per cent focus.”

Humphries does not have the kind of opener that allows him to ease into the event, but that may suit him. Menzies brings enough danger to demand immediate sharpness, without changing the basic expectation around the match.

Gayer also believes Humphries’ comfort with his position in the sport has fed back into his game. “If he is more comfortable in that role, he is a better darts player as well,” he said.

Humphries’ Blackpool week opens with a dangerous first-round tie, a rivalry sitting on the far side of the draw, and a possible final that would give the World Matchplay its sharpest title battle.