“I’m concerned about Michael van Gerwen” – Wayne Mardle warns Premier League could expose MvG problem

Wayne Mardle does not think the biggest story at the start of the 2026 Premier League Darts is Luke Littler, Luke Humphries or the rise of Gian van Veen.

As the roadshow begins again, Mardle believes the real intrigue sits with two former dominant figures who now have a point to prove. Humphries, the defending champion, has drifted out of the spotlight amid the Littler hype. Van Gerwen is facing a rarer problem after missing Finals Night last year and failing to win a single league night.

According to Mardle, that pressure could shape the opening weeks far more than the familiar “Luke versus Luke” narrative.

“Luke Littler is the man. And Luke Humphries said that at the Grand Slam in November," Mardle says in conversation with Sky Sports. "Humphries will fight all the way. This could be good for him because we so quickly - and when I say we, I'm on about the media - we so quickly made it Luke and Luke, and that's it. Then it was Littler and the others."

Mardle also explicitly points to Van Veen, who he believes has upset the balance. “Gian van Veen's come along and spoiled everything in terms of Humphries because the way he dismantled him in the quarter-finals [of the Worlds], he was incredible."

While Littler says he likes staying under the radar, Mardle believes that doesn’t apply to Humphries. "I believe that he wants people to talk about him and he's got a point to prove," Mardle claims. "He and Michael van Gerwen are the ones with points to prove. I want to see them hit the ground running and basically give it, 'don't forget about me'. No one will forget about Humphries in a hurry because he's going to be around for a long time."

Van Gerwen started 2026 strongly with victory at the Bahrain Darts Masters and a runner-up finish at the inaugural Saudi Arabia Darts Masters, but endured a difficult Premier League campaign last year. For the first time in a long while he missed Finals Night and failed to win a single league night.

Mardle sees that Van Gerwen must adapt to a new role. “I'm kind of concerned about, in a way, Michael van Gerwen. I'm not sure how he's going to do," he said. "He didn't make the play-offs last year for the first time in a long time. He's now not as much of a winner as he used to be."

Even so, Van Gerwen remains a force, according to Mardle. “He's still very much someone that needs to be in the forefront of everyone's mind because he can win anything. But there seems to be just a new breed, with Littler, Humphries and Van Veen."

That makes the Premier League a clash of generations, with Van Gerwen as the seasoned statesman. “You've got the old and the new and Van Gerwen being the elder statesman now in terms of experience and everything and also he will want to hit the ground running. In 2024, he won four weeks of the Premier League. Last year he didn't win any. He's got to put that right. There's pressure on him."

For Mardle, this Premier League is a test of response.

Humphries wants reminding people he is the defending champion. Van Gerwen needs to show he can still dictate terms rather than react to them. With Littler and Van Veen representing the new wave, the early weeks may be driven as much by pressure and pride as by scoring power.

That, in Mardle’s view, is where the real story of the 2026 Premier League starts.