"I don't think he should be in it": Out-of-form Michael Smith told to avoid Premier League Darts by Paul Nicholson
PDC
The Premier League Darts line-up is only just over an hour away from being announced but one player that in the view of Paul Nicholson should forget about being in it is Michael Smith.
Smith from being World Champion has dropped down the rankings and at the moment may not make it even to the World Matchplay.
He currently sits outside of the provisional spots and Nicholson doesn't doubt his work ethic but does doubt the fact that the Premier League would help him get back to his best.
He has urged him to follow a Rory McIlroy or Tiger Woods type approach for him to restart gaining his best form back of a structured schedule and not wanting to be in everything.
"I've never questioned Michael Smith's work ethic ever. And I never will. But I think he does," said Nicholson to talkSPORT.
"So if he's not putting in the work and he's not going to enough tournaments or the right ones, which are ranked, because you could, if you're world champion, you can go to the World Series, you can go to the Premier League and you can go to World Series finals and win a whole lot of money.
"But if it's not in your ranking, you're going to find yourself in a position where you're not in the Matchplay.”
"You've got to be crafty in that regard,” Nicholson added. “I actually think this is a good thing for Michael Smith because I think this is a chance for him to re-establish a time away from the Premier League because I don't think he should be in it.
"Do a calendar for the year well in advance and say, ‘I'm going to these definitely’. Just leave a few with an asterisk against them. ‘I'll go to these if I need to go to these’.
"This is how golfers prepare their seasons. When does Rory (McIlroy) ever play more than three weeks in a row? If he has to, that's it. End of story.
"When does Tiger start his season? At the Farmers Insurance Open. Why? Because he wants to make sure he's prepped for the season and he will cherry-pick everything.
"This is what dart players are going to have to do now. This has come at the right time for Michael because of 34 Players' Championships in 2025, 14 European Tours, no guarantee of Matchplay, get the schedule right, get the work ethic right and I have every faith that the top ten will be his again."
BULLY BOY CRASHES OUT! ❌
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 19, 2024
Kevin Doets dumps Michael Smith out of the World Championship! 😱
An incredible contest at Ally Pally! 🤯
📺 https://t.co/pIQvhqYxEj#WCDarts | R2 pic.twitter.com/25yvUjfaD3
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- No, I wasn't expecting Heta to be in it either having won nothing of any significance. Although he is charismatic and has personality unlike the boring and dull as dishwater Dobey. It is quite pathetic and desperate the way Bunting and Arsepinall pander to the crowd to dance to their walk on music, that has worked though. I would like to see more players involved on a weekly basis similar to the Modus Super Series. A knockout tournament with 16 winners from each week. The Premier league is too boring with the same players. Plus it would eliminate all the whining and booing from unselected players.richieburnettrocks07-01-2025
- Why is World Champion Richie Burnett not highlighted in bold font nor 2 time World Champion Scotty 2 Hotty. COME ON RICHIE BURNETT AND SCOTTY 2 HOTTY Although where the hell has 2 HOTTY been the past year!richieburnettrocks07-01-2025
- It's not tennis, snooker or golf, nobody mentioned Fallon,great as she is. Beau beats her week in,week out. But she isn't interested. If you want to include crowd pleasers,get Les Wallace back!!! He was a world champion,and wore a kilt!!!rick6707-01-2025
- I'm glad wright and van Ben bergh were overlooked. Too much dancing,not enough darting. Bunting is always quality,as for price,he's a crowd pleaser(!!?) too. Aspinall has had his problems,but it's nice to see him back,he's a decent chap. Dobey is a top player,big hitter,so I won't complain. Cross will finish bottom,much as I like him,he seems to be off lately. I'm glad they didn't pick a Belgian just for the audience. But I don't agree with the tournament or format,so I guess it's immaterial to me. They might as well turn up at a random pub and play for the beers!!!rick6707-01-2025
- I think the PDC's choice is too conservative. EIther or both of Damon Heta and Mike de Dekker should have been in, at the expense of Aspinall and possibly Price. I guess the PDC's reasoning is that they do not want too much turnover from year to year, and so having already rejected Smith and Wright, they have kept Price and Aspinall, but I guess those two are "on probation".
UndartedWaters06-01-2025 - Two from the three of Price, Aspinall and Dobey should have been excluded, De Decker and Edhouse should have been in. I would have offered a place to Beau Greaves though i doubt she would have accepted it and probably not really ready for it confidence wise.Mysstree06-01-2025
- Tennis has a protected ranking system for injuries and Golf has a system that as a Major winner you get invited back of a number of years regardless of your ranking. Barry Hearn gave Stephen Hendry a wildcard for some tournaments though he still had to enter at the qualification stage. Doubt the PDC would give Burnett an exemption as he has never won a PDC Major, same would apply to Steve Beaton. It’s a slippery slope to abandoning a meritocratic system, if the PDC did do so they could then (for example) award a place to Fallon Sherrock even though she has yet to qualify at any level for a tour card.Mysstree06-01-2025
- I'd have said the same about Ady Lewis,but the PDC is indeed a law unto itself,so sorry bud,get your leg kicking and do it for the good lads!!rick6705-01-2025
- COME ON RICHIE BURNETT Surely a World Champion and player with the calibra of Richie should be exempt from ever losing a tour card and having to qualify.richieburnettrocks04-01-2025
- That's true, Richie. Taylor used to call it, "Manley's millions."MrYnyslas197103-01-2025