"I don’t see him returning to top level every week": Age is 'merciless opponent' for ailing Peter Wright
PDC
In the latest episode of the Darts Draait Door podcast, Damien Vlottes and Vincent van der Voort cast their eyes over a number of big talking points in the sport. From Danny Noppert’s underappreciated status in the elite, to the possible decline of Peter Wright and Raymond van Barneveld, and the build-up to the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam, the discussion was both candid and insightful.
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Van der Voort revealed that Danny Noppert had recently messaged him, feeling hard done by after previous remarks on the podcast. “He thought we were being very negative about him,” Van der Voort explained. “But that’s not true at all. Danny has been a top 16 player for years, and he’s a major winner. That’s a huge achievement. But because of that, the bar is set higher for him.”
Noppert, ‘The Freeze’, reportedly feels forgotten by the media. Vlottes sympathised: “He might have a point. Expectations are simply different with him. If someone like Luke Woodhouse reaches a quarter-final, we call it a great result. But with Noppert, people expect more.”
Van der Voort highlighted one particular weakness in Noppert’s game. “He’s struggled on the Euro Tour, especially switching from afternoon to evening sessions. That’s where he could really improve. He wins Pro Tours, he reaches TV semi-finals, but on the Euro Tour he often falls short. If he fixes that, he can win titles very quickly.”
Still, both hosts praised Noppert’s resilience. “He’s super consistent and always tough to beat,” Van der Voort said. “You don’t stay in the top 16 for three-and-a-half years if you don’t belong there.”
Littler’s laid-back attitude – and social media pitfalls
Luke Littler also came up in the conversation, particularly after being pictured watching Formula 1 alongside Michael van Gerwen during the Czech Darts Open. “He’s very relaxed about it,” Van der Voort said. “Sometimes he’s angry after a defeat, but it passes quickly. That makes him different to champions of the past, who were always burning with hunger.”
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However, the role of social media was discussed more critically. “His mother was angry on Facebook – you shouldn’t do that. Neither should Danny [Noppert],” Van der Voort warned. “They’re too big for that. You can’t care what a fan or journalist writes.”
Wright and Van Barneveld: A generation in decline?
The debate then turned to whether Peter Wright has reached the twilight of his career. The Scot has slipped in the rankings and has been far from his best. “I don’t see him returning to top level every week,” Van der Voort admitted. “Maybe he’ll win another title, but top five in the world? No, I don’t believe that anymore. Age is a merciless opponent.”
Vlottes agreed, noting that the decline of icons can be painful. “The same goes for Van Barneveld. For younger fans, he’s now just a player who often loses. But we know him as one of the greatest champions ever, and that contrast is hard to see.”
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Van der Voort recalled a telling moment from Barney’s match against Krzysztof Ratajski in Prague. “After just the second turn, he was already pulling faces. That’s very early in a match to look so unhappy. I hoped that after a month off in August he’d come back recharged, but it hasn’t really changed. With this attitude, it’s agony.”
Young stars ready for break through
Despite the struggles of the veterans, Van der Voort stressed that the next generation is quickly coming.
“There are 14- and 15-year-olds already playing at a really high level. Not all will make it, but I think we’ll see 19- or 20-year-olds in World Championship quarter-finals very soon. Look at Van Gerwen – he was world youth champion at 17. The successors are coming, and that will put pressure on the established order.”
European Tour concerns
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Another key talking point was the current state of the European Tour, with seven events taking place in Germany. “That’s too many,” Vlottes argued. “Germany is a huge market, of course, but it would be better to spread them across Europe.”
Van der Voort agreed: “Why not Ireland, Scotland, or Wales? The atmosphere is great there. In Finland I did a demo recently and the place was packed. Spain, France, Sweden, Italy – there are real opportunities. The only problem is Spain right now, because their darts scene is in its worst spell in 20 years.”
Finally, attention turned to the upcoming World Series of Darts Finals at AFAS Live in Amsterdam, where Dutch players will collide early on. Jermaine Wattimena faces Kevin Doets, Wessel Nijman takes on Michael van Gerwen, and Van Barneveld meets Dutch-Norwegian Cor Dekker. "A good draw for Van Barneveld,” Vlottes noted. “But if he loses, it will hurt badly.”
Van der Voort disagreed slightly. “It can’t hurt more than it already does. He’s always devastated after a loss. But I still expect him to win. Dekker is decent, but Raymond has to make him play the game of his life.”
The clash between Nijman and Van Gerwen also caught their eye. “Nijman might even be the slight favourite,” Van der Voort suggested. “He’s in better form at the moment. But he’s never beaten Michael, and the mental aspect plays a huge role.”
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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
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- 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
- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026
- She's technically not a professional though as she doesn't hold a pro tour card.mr-pablo04-11-2026
- Such a shame that lakeside has been reduced to this. Fantastic venue,and previously a great tournament. Not any morerick6703-11-2026
- Seems to me that the top 16 players pick and choose whatever they want to play. Good,all the money will get spread out more. They get more money from exhibitions than tournaments so let them all withdrawrick6703-11-2026
- Play all legs and the winners split the pot. Luke gets the lot of he wins them all. If your occupation is darts player you can't enter, regardless of ability.BandB01-11-2026
- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026