“For his own good, I worry about him” – DartsNews Podcast debates Stephen Bunting’s Premier League inclusion

The 2026 Premier League Darts line-up quickly became a point of discussion on the opening episode of the DartsNews Podcast, reflecting a wider conversation about how the competition’s places are now decided. With established names missing out and others selected, the focus shifted beyond individual cases towards the broader balance between form, profile and opportunity.

That discussion gained further weight when James Wade responded to his omission on the board, lifting the first Players Championship title of the season, while attention around Stephen Bunting’s inclusion turned to what a full Premier League campaign can represent for a player at this stage of his career.

Taken together, those strands point to a deeper question facing the modern game: whether the Premier League is best understood as a reward for recent performance, a platform for exposure, or a test that carries its own risks.

Those themes formed a central part of the conversation on the opening episode of the DartsNews Podcast, where hosts Kieran Wood and Nicolas Gayer examined the 2026 line-up and its wider implications.

The decision to leave James Wade out of the 2026 Premier League was one of the first pressure points in the selection debate, particularly given the strength of his wider 2025 campaign and his immediate response at the start of the new season.

“I think in any normal year, Wade would have got in. A Matchplay final, a UK Open final… but the main problem was a bad end to 2025, wasn’t it?” Wood said.

That assessment mirrors much of the external reaction to Wade’s omission. While his year included deep runs on major stages, the late-season dip offered the PDC a clear justification to look elsewhere when finalising its wildcard selections.

Wood pointed to the contrast with those who did make the cut, particularly in terms of reliability and expectation.

“And then you see the likes of Stephen Bunting. He might not have had continued TV success all year, but you know what you’re going to get with Bunting. He’s a crowd favourite, box office draw, and obviously he has good darts as well.”

When pushed on what he would have changed, Wood was explicit. “I probably would have had Wade in for Bunting. That would be my one change. And then Danny Noppert for Josh Rock is the other one, I think. What about you?”

Gayer’s response widened the discussion beyond Wade alone, placing Danny Noppert at the centre of his own alternative line-up.

“I’d have made one change as well. I missed Danny Noppert in there. Wade is a fair call too, but I’d have loved to see Danny because that’s been my big issue with the Premier League for a while: it doesn’t always feel like the eight best players are in it.”

That argument reflects a recurring criticism of the Premier League format: that sporting merit, while important, is only one part of a broader selection calculus.

“The PDC never said it has to be the eight best players in the world. That’s not a rule. They’re free to pick. But if it was the eight best, I think I’d enjoy it more,” Gayer said.

Asked directly who he would have removed to accommodate Noppert, Gayer returned to Bunting’s inclusion, but framed his concern less around selection logic and more around consequence.

“For me it would have been Bunting, mainly because of his big stage performances in 2025. He had a good year, went up to world number four at one point, won six titles, even if they weren’t on TV,” he said. “But also, for his own good, I worry about him. Bunting has history with the Premier League and it damaged him years ago. I fear this year could be tough as well. And online, his reputation is starting to turn. If he has a bad Premier League, it could go bad quickly.”

As the discussion moved away from individual cases, both hosts returned to the structural reality of the Premier League itself.

“You said it perfectly. It never feels like the eight best players in the world anymore. There’s always one or two contentious decisions. But at the end of the day, it’s an exhibition, so the PDC can kind of do what they want,” Wood said.

Gayer agreed that sporting considerations are now balanced against broader factors. “You’ve got the top four rule, and apart from that they’re free. Commercial pull and profile clearly matter. If you ask me, too much, but it works because the sport is growing and the Premier League does well.”

Wood, however, questioned how decisive the line-up even is from a commercial standpoint. “But is the line up even that important? Tickets sell out long before it’s confirmed,” he said.

Gayer noted that geography and timing also play their part. “True. And I think they’d have loved a Belgian with Antwerp on the calendar, but nobody really made the case.”

With Wade’s early-season victory already reframing his omission, and Bunting stepping into another Premier League campaign under scrutiny, the discussion highlighted a tension that is unlikely to disappear.

Rather than a single snub or selection, the 2026 Premier League has become a case study in how modern darts balances performance, exposure and risk, and whether the competition remains a prize, a proving ground, or something closer to an obligation.

That conversation, and its wider implications for the sport, continues in full on episode one of the DartsNews Podcast.