"I'd still like it to go back to a league phase" - Wayne Mardle supports Premier League Darts format change

Despite much online controversy and rumours of change, the PDC continue to persist with the updated format of the Premier League Darts, where every night includes quarterfinals, semifinals and a final.

Wayne Mardle, himself a multiple time former Premier League Darts recently discussed the mixed opinions in regards to the format of darts' travelling roadshow. "It's a tough one. It has had four, five, maybe even six different kind of iterations hasn't it," Hawaii 501 says in a video posted by MDA Events YouTube channel. "We started with seven players, then we went to eight. Then it was draws and no draws. Then it was first to six then it was first to seven..."

The PDC insists that the current format gives the fan in attendance the best possible experience, getting the chance to see their heroes on multiple occasions during the night and encouraging those in the audience to stay until the end and see the weekly winner be crowned. Some have argued however, that seeing the same names face off multiple times, week after week can be more than a little tedious.

"The format for me, works for eight players. But I'd still like it to go back to a league phase, as in just play once, five games on a night. You could make it 10 players, or now you could actually make it 12. You could have six games, best of 11. That would fit well," Mardle proposes as his suggestion for change. "The draw element changes a lot of things, because of the extra legs you have to play, but I think it could work."

The 2024 edition of the Premier League Darts saw Luke Littler not only top the table on debut, but go on to claim a maiden PDC major title with victory over Luke Humphries in the final of the playoffs, avenging his World Darts Championship final defeat and hitting a stunning nine darter in the process.