DISCUSSION Players Championship 21 & 22 | Is Luke Littler not bothering with ProTour a poor advert for the game? Is Nijman on course to become a ProTour great?

The latest Players Championship double header has taken place over Tuesday and Wednesday (16-17 June) and saw Wessel Nijman add to his title tally, and Rob Cross return to the winners' circle.

In our latest discussion piece, we take a look into Nijman's run as he cements himself as a ProTour great. As well as the return to form for Rob Cross, brilliance for Beau Greaves.

But also whether Luke Littler deciding seemingly not to play ProTour action is a bad look for the PDC especially given he will certainly not defend his title at Minehead in November.

Samuel Gill, Head Editor for DartsNews.com has lauded Wessel Nijman for his run as well as wondering why Luke Littler isn't bothering in what is a poor advert for the PDC.

"I actually never tire of seeing Wessel Nijman winning titles and if I was a betting man (I'm not), I'd plump on him winning every week.

"He continues to show why he is the best player outside of the big eight in the Premier League and perhaps James Wade. He hoovers up on a ProTour that if you're not averaging over 100, you will lose most weeks.

"Big props as ever to Beau Greaves who was seeded for the first time in a ProTour only six months into her journey, quite staggering. She replaced Luke Humphries who as ever decided to only play one day and he now won't return till New York.

"But at least he is trying unlike the case of Luke Littler who continues not to bother with the bread and butter and has barely played any ranking event action this year. Pretty poor indictment of the tour when the biggest name is far ahead and he doesn't need to play any of the main tour events while some will play everything."

Lucas Michael, Editor for DartsNews.com lauded multiple stars after the latest double header of action albeit most are very much status quo picks in that they continue to shine e.g Wessel Nijman and Beau Greaves.

Rob Cross was also picked out as one who won a title and showed amid issues in his personal life that he can banish those in order to get back to some semblance of his best.

"Two more Players Championship titles have been handed out, and it is only fitting that Wessel Nijman has taken home one of them. The guy cannot stop winning. He goes into event 21 without even picking up a dart for over a week and still produces a level which other cannot keep up with. While not at his best, he proves that he can grind out wins or blow players away.

"The floor form is not interesting anymore. What we want to know is how the TV form will be. He will most certainly be hoping to challenge for tournaments such as the World Matchplay, but time will tell if he can convert that form onto the big stage.

"Another deep run for Beau Greaves needs to get recognition. She did not average over 90 once in her first three matches but won. She then went ballistic, finding a very high level before exiting at the semi-final stage. She is a natural winner, proven many times on and off the ProTour. Greaves featuring in semi-finals of PC events will be as common as Nijman winning them in the future.

"What has not been common is Rob Cross winning titles. While personal reasons may have something to do with it, he is just not the same player as he was a few years ago. From regularly challenging and winning major titles, this success could be a pivotal one. No longer stressing about qualifying for the World Matchplay with the World Grand Prix handed a huge boost.

"What is also a boost, and a surprising one at that, is Gian van Veen reaching a quarter-final. This should be expected as the norm but results in 2026 say otherwise. He has competed in a number of these tournaments but just has not been able to get that many wins, a very concerning sign. There is still a lot of work to do, but that run will relieve some pressure off his shoulders now he has risen into the top 100.

"Still at the foot of the table is Luke Littler. I do not know when he will be making his debut in 2026 on the PC circuit, but he is leaving it late. If he misses the next four or six events, then he is really pushing the line. His title defence in Minehead is slightly under pressure if he does not return to the playing field soon. He has the quality to play in two tournaments and win them both without lifting a finger so he should be fine, but if he is not then questions will be asked."

Pieter Verbeek, Editor for DartsNieuws.com has chimed in that Nijman is on the verge of joining an exclusive club of players and that Maik Kuivenhoven should emerge with some credit.

The ProTour Player of the Year title is rapidly becoming Wessel Nijman’s to lose. The Dutchman has developed into a remarkable force on the circuit. He has already collected seven PDC titles this season, six of which have come on the floor. On Tuesday, he added another trophy to his growing collection by winning Players Championship 21.

The list of players Nijman now finds himself alongside is becoming increasingly exclusive. Only Phil Taylor, Simon Whitlock and Michael van Gerwen have previously managed to win six or more Players Championship events in a single calendar year. With twelve Players Championship tournaments still remaining on the schedule, it would be a surprise if Nijman failed to add at least one more title. Should he do so, only darts legend Taylor would remain ahead of him on that prestigious all-time list.

Another Dutch player who impressed in Wigan was Maik Kuivenhoven, who is enjoying a highly encouraging resurgence. After missing out on qualification for last year's World Championship, Kuivenhoven faced an uphill battle to retain his Tour Card beyond this season. However, he has since climbed to a virtual 66th place in the Tour Card race.

At Players Championship 22, Kuivenhoven reached the first PDC ranking final of his career, a breakthrough result that has propelled him to an impressive 18th position on the Players Championship Order of Merit. If the Dutchman can maintain his current level of performance, it seems only a matter of time before he secures his place among the world's top 64 players.

In the final of Players Championship 22, Kuivenhoven was ultimately beaten by Rob Cross, who is also in the midst of a notable revival. Just a few months ago, Cross was in serious danger of missing out on qualification for the World Matchplay. However, a pair of semi-final appearances on the European Tour, combined with another semi-final run on the ProTour in early June, helped move him back into the projected field.

This latest title has effectively secured Cross a place at the World Matchplay, while qualification for the World Grand Prix now also appears highly likely. The former world champion could certainly do with some positive headlines after his well-publicised tax issues in 2025. More recently, it also emerged that his marriage had come to an end, making this title an especially timely boost both on and off the oche.

Oliver Ried, Editor for DartsNews.DE lauds Cross and also Kai Gotthardt for their runs while airing concerns for Dimitri van den Bergh and Martin Lukeman.

"The latest Players Championship events are in the books, and once again there were plenty of winners and losers. Starting with the winners, there is hardly anything left to say about Wessel Nijman. The Dutchman claimed his fifth Players Championship title of 2026, and that achievement speaks for itself."

"I am particularly pleased for Rob Cross. He secured his first title in 18 months after showing signs of improvement on the European Tour in recent weeks. He has now backed up those performances with silverware, and his place at the World Matchplay, which looked highly unlikely just a few weeks ago, is now secure. It will be interesting to see whether he can carry this form forward and continue his climb back towards the world's top 16.

"Kai Gotthardt also deserves a mention. After two very difficult years, the German produced some excellent darts, including a 107 average on his way to the last 16. That run should give him a huge confidence boost for the remainder of the season, even if retaining his Tour Card still appears to be an almost impossible task.

"On the second day, Gabriel Clemens reached another quarter-final, giving himself valuable breathing room in the race for both the Players Championship Finals and the Darts WM. However, he was unable to convert a 4-1 lead against Tom Bissell into victory. As a result, Maik Kuivenhoven took advantage, reaching the first final of his career and putting himself in a strong position to return to the Darts World Championship.

"Among the losers, Dimitri Van den Bergh unfortunately finds himself on the list once again. The Belgian appeared to be moving in the right direction over the past few weeks, but averages of 75 and 74 tell their own story. It was a hugely disappointing pair of performances and another setback in what has been a difficult period.

"Martin Lukeman is another player who, in my opinion, is not receiving enough attention. He currently sits just £250 above the Tour Card cut-off line, and with very little prize money added to his ranking recently, the pressure is mounting. After posting two averages around the 80 mark during these events, the situation is becoming increasingly complicated for the Englishman."