DISCUSSION | New Zealand Darts Masters - Jonny Clayton shines but PDC players left disappointing with poor standard amid absence of huge names

The New Zealand Darts Masters took place this past weekend between 14-15 August with Auckland hosting the Kiwi leg of the World Series of Darts which now heads to Wollongong next week for the Australian Darts Masters.

Jonny Clayton won the title taking down Gerwyn Price in the final as the Welsh players again continue to dominate these events and non ranking at that. It seems to be path of the course that Clayton in particular plays superbly in these tournaments.

Samuel Gill, Head Editor for DartsNews.com lauds Clayton and also the Oceanic representative.

"No hope was given to the Australian and Kiwi players and to be honest perhaps it was with good reason given that the talent has often been there through Haupai Puha, Ben Robb and Jonny Tata without much of an iota of it being converted to wins.

"But Adam Leek and Raymond Smith proved that there is life yet. Leek of course is in the Heta model now of being on the tour week in week out and Whitlock of course has played for years on tour too.

"Smith though in my view should seriously consider what his future holds and try to make the move over and play seriously. The Guru has previously shone in the World's and the big stage is very much his home. A truly fantastic ambassador for Australian darts and one who I hopes gains great solace from this weekend towards achieving those aims.

"For the other PDC stars, Ross Smith and Stephen Bunting were a bit abject and given we didn't have messrs Humphries, Littler and co, it was always going to be a conundrum as to what big names would turn up. It makes it intriguing and albeit Clayton won the title who has long been fantastic, it could've been very much even an Aussie winner. Onto Australia where we perhaps get close to that."

Lucas Michael, Editor for DartsNews.com lauds Jonny Clayton for his poise in continuing to shine in New Zealand and also agrees re Raymond Smith and how perhaps he should take it a bit more seriously.

"If anything is to go by following the 2026 New Zealand Darts Masters, it is that Jonny Clayton should petition for more darts to be played Down Under. In four of the events, he has played in either Australia or New Zealand, he has reached the final twice and won two titles, the latest a satisfying slice of revenge against Gerwyn Price.

"Despite them being good friends, there are many reasons for this win being classed as revenge. From ‘The Iceman’ not participating in the World Cup of Darts to him snatching away the Welsh number one spot. Good pals off the oche, but on it ‘The Ferret’ turns feral. While under the cosh in his opening match, he never seemed too bothered in the second day of action. Not quite the trademark 121 he is synonymous with, a 124 was a fine way to get over the line and another reason why Clayton should be considered as one of the best around at the moment.

"These events in Auckland and Wollongong are all about opportunities. Normally that would be pitched to the native challengers, but this time also for the PDC names. Luke Littler (Saudi Arabia), Luke Humphries (USA) and Michael van Gerwen (Bahrain and Nordic) have swept up all the World Series titles on offer in 2026. With all three not making the trip, specifically the Englishmen, this was a chance for the chasing pack to capitalise.

"Many did not, but it also opened a door for Ross Smith to make his World Series debut. He will have another shot at glory in Australia, but it is fair to say that he will not be wanting to jog his memory back to that match against Adam Leek. Whether nerves or not stepping up, those six match darts missed leaves much to ponder for ‘Smudger.’ Such a talented darts player, it always feels like something is holding him back from making that next step, even if it seems that he is with this new opportunity handed to him."

"Raymond Smith certainly made an impression. His eye-catching throw action looks very smooth and that showed with some tremendous performances. He can rise to that next level if he consistently defeats the best players in the world, but he will not be doing that anytime soon if he settles with competing Down Under. It is always a tricky decision to make, but if he can make the step that Damon Heta and Simon Whitlock have previously done among others, then I believe he could be one to watch out for.

"One of the players he defeated was Stephen Bunting. He reached the final in four of the six World Series of Darts events last year. This time out, he has not even amassed four wins yet on the circuit in five competitions. It is not just that. Seven consecutive events on the European Tour without reaching the final session, no PDC titles in 2026 and just one final to show. His name is not appearing regularly in the latter stages of events. His consistent nature on the oche meant that this was the reality a couple of years ago, but now he is left scrambling for form, and it may not be long before he departs the upper echelon of the sport, only hanging around thanks to his walk-on song."

Pieter Verbeek, Editor for DartsNieuws.com sees it as giving Clayton a perfect boost albeit the standard of the PDC names being disappointing being the standout point in comparison even to the Oceanic names.

"The first thing that stood out at this tournament was that the Oceanic representatives clearly performed better against the PDC stars than they have done in recent years. Of course, Luke Littler, Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen were all absent, but putting it down solely to their absence would take away from the performances of Raymond Smith and Adam Leek in particular.

"Smith even managed to reach the semi-finals, where Gerwyn Price eventually beat him. Across his three matches, Smith recorded averages of 99.81, 96.72 and 92.35. The Australian could therefore be a dangerous opponent if he manages to qualify for the World Darts Championship.

"The standard among the PDC players was slightly disappointing, however, with none of them managing to record a ton-plus average. In the end, Jonny Clayton was the best player of the weekend. He had to recover from a 3-1 deficit against Haupai Puha in the opening round before eventually edging past the New Zealander 6-5.

"From there, Clayton enjoyed a much more comfortable route to the title, defeating Gian van Veen 6-3, James Wade 7-2 and Gerwyn Price 8-4 in succession. It was a welcome success for the Welshman, who has actually been producing a consistently strong level throughout the year but had yet to win a title.

"This triumph in Auckland therefore provides Clayton with a timely boost heading into the autumn, when the biggest prizes of the season will be decided."

Nicolas Gayer, Editor for DartsNews.de was once again hugely impressed by Raymond Smith and also saw plenty to admire in New Zealand Darts Masters champion Jonny Clayton.

"To be honest, there is one main takeaway I have from the weekend in New Zealand, and it is something I have been repeating like a broken record for years: the PDC Pro Tour needs Raymond Smith. Okay, I don't know how much the PDC Tour as a whole really needs the Guru – but I need him, that much is certain.

"Ever since the Australian first made waves at Alexandra Palace in the winter of 2021, reaching the last 16 of the PDC World Darts Championship, I have been a huge fan of Smith. The main reason is his exceptionally good throwing technique. The way he lines himself up and steadies his aim, the rhythm – which looked noticeably quicker this weekend than it has in recent years – and then that unmistakable follow-through. When Raymond Smith is in the zone, hardly a dart lands outside the segment he is aiming for. Very few stray darts, an incredible number of perfectly straight throws and deadly accuracy on the bullseye. The Guru demonstrated all of that in impressive fashion this weekend with his convincing victories over Stephen Bunting and Adam Leek.

"Aside from my Australian favourite, Jonny Clayton obviously made a big impression on me this weekend as well. It is hardly news anymore that, after a few more difficult years, Clayton is now firmly back among the absolute elite of the sport. And yet, it was fascinating to see the ease, enjoyment and sheer quality with which the Welshman is currently taking to the oche.

"One thing, however, has followed Clayton throughout almost his entire professional career: The Ferret has a knack for winning titles that do not count towards the Order of Merit. Let's see whether he can change that when we get to the big season finale."