“Littler v Lawrie could be off the charts” – Mitchell Lawrie’s rise convinces Paul Nicholson Luke Littler’s next great rival is already emerging

Paul Nicholson believes Luke Littler’s most credible long-term rival may not even be on the PDC Tour yet, with the former major winner tipping 15-year-old Mitchell Lawrie as the player most likely to eventually challenge the world number one.

Lawrie has already climbed to the top of the WDF rankings, reached a Lakeside final and produced registered averages that compare remarkably well with Littler at the same age.

For Nicholson, those performances make the Scot stand out even among a rapidly improving generation of junior talent. “Now there’s plenty of potential stars out there but the one we’re getting most excited about is Mitchell Lawrie,” Nicholson wrote in his latest Sporting Life column. “At the age of 15 he’s already the WDF number 1, he wins pretty much wherever he goes and has already made a Lakeside final, which is something Littler didn't do.”

Littler competed at Lakeside in 2022 but was beaten by Richard Veenstra, who produced a record average for the venue. Lawrie went one step further by reaching the final before losing to Jimmy van Schie.

“We knew back then Littler was an extremely promising young player but I doubt anyone thought that within 18 months he'd be the most talked about player in the world,” Nicholson continued. “So if Mitchell Lawrie is on the same roadmap as Littler, then we’re in for a spectacular rivalry in the coming few years.”

Nicholson’s comparison is not based solely on potential. Lawrie’s highest registered tournament average already stands at 112.73. Littler’s best recorded figure at 15 was just above 100.

Lawrie has also produced 22 registered averages above 100, compared with only one for Littler at the same age. That came when Littler averaged 100.20 in the quarter-finals of the JDC World Championship.

Nicholson is careful to stress that the comparison is limited by how much youth darts was actually recorded. “I must stress that ‘recorded’ is the key word here,” he said. “They both would have averaged over 100 in tournaments not covered by Dart Connect but even so, this is a fair comparison to show just how promising Mitchell Lawrie really is.”

The prospect of Lawrie eventually meeting Littler also carries an obvious England-Scotland angle. “We all love an England v Scotland rivalry and we’ve had some crackers in the past such as Bristow v Jocky in the 1980s but Littler v Lawrie will be potentially off the charts in terms of the standards they’ll be throwing at each other.”

Nicholson’s enthusiasm for Lawrie comes partly from how dramatically his view of Littler’s existing opposition has changed.

A year ago, Luke Humphries would have been his obvious answer when asked who could consistently stop Littler. “I think if you'd asked me who can stop Luke Littler about 12 months ago, I would have said Luke Humphries,” Nicholson said. “And although it’s not been a bad year for Cool Hand, it’s become even more obvious in 2026 that Littler is operating on a different planet compared to everyone else. The Nuke can obviously lose the odd game here and there in shorter formats, but when it comes to the major televised tournaments, it’s become an increasingly rare occurrence. Even more worry for everyone else, he’s still improving.”

Littler has won every PDC major staged so far in 2026, while also being selective with his schedule away from the biggest televised events.

Nicholson believes that absence now creates some of the clearest opportunities for the rest of the field. “As things stand, the likes of Humphries, Gian van Veen, Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen will be fortunate to win one or two majors between them per season,” he said. “It’s got to the point where his rivals are relieved when he takes a break, such as during Players Championship events and some of the events on the European and World Series Tours. They are the only times when everyone else thinks they’ve got a good chance of winning something!”

Nicholson now puts Littler alongside the sport’s most dominant players. “He’s a once-in-a-generation dart player doing things other greats can’t, which is why we’re putting him in the peak Phil Taylor and prime MVG bracket.”

For all the excitement around Lawrie, Nicholson does not want the teenager rushed onto the senior circuit.

He points to Beau Greaves as an example of a young player who resisted pressure to accelerate her move towards the PDC and instead developed at her own pace. “I’m hoping Lawrie takes his time and takes a leaf out of Beau Greaves’ book,” Nicholson said. “She took each step at a time despite all the pressure and hype around her to rush into the PDC and start competing against the men. She’s plotted her own patient route and continues to prove you don’t have to jump in at the deep end just because everyone else and the media is impatient!”

Nicholson believes another year of Development Tour darts and appearances in environments such as the MODUS Super Series could be more valuable than immediately chasing a Tour Card.

“He doesn't have to go to Q School and get a tour card immediately. He can just focus on this level for another year, enjoy the Development Tour and also show everyone what he can do in the Modus Super Series – just like Littler did," says the Asset. “Those experiences and achievements were so instrumental in him building himself as a player and I believe Lawrie has to do the same.”

Jack Johnson, Kaya Baysal and Archie Self are among the other young players Nicholson believes have significant potential, but Lawrie is currently his standout candidate.

At 15, there is still a long way to go before any Littler-Lawrie rivalry can become reality. But with Lawrie already reaching standards even Littler rarely recorded at the same age, the next stage of his development on the PDC pathway will be watched particularly closely.