"No disrespect to Phil Taylor, but there weren’t as many challengers" - Luke Humphries says darts is harder than ever ahead of World Matchplay defence

One of the never ending, yet unanswerable questions in the sport of darts, is whether or not Phil Taylor would be able to dominate modern darts the way he did in his own era. According to current world number one Luke Humphries, the modern day darting scene is harder than ever.

Humphries is currently preparing for a return to the iconic Winter Gardens in Blackpool, where he will look to defend his the Phil Taylor Trophy he won last year at the World Matchplay. Ahead of his return though, 'Cool Hand Luke' sat down with former England international goalkeeper Paul Robinson for an extensive interview.

"I used to play youth darts around that area — the Youth Festival of Darts — and always dreamed of playing at the Winter Gardens. I achieved that dream about four years ago. I remember beating James Wade on my debut, averaging over 100, thinking “'Wow, I’m actually here!'" Humphries says of his love for the World Matchplay and Blackpool. "I always wanted to win it because of the prestige. The trophy, the venue, the fans — it’s such a special place. To win it again would mean even more."

His first hurdle towards back to back titles is a tricky one though. "My first game is tough out of the 16 I could’ve got. But I don’t worry about draws anymore. Everyone in the tournament can play well — or not — so it doesn’t really matter," Humphries previews of his blockbuster meeting with Dutch rising star Gian Van Veen. "Gian's been in great form, he’ll fancy his chances. But if I play like I did last year, it’ll be a tough task for him. He’s got the calibre to beat me, and that makes it more dangerous. If a player believes they can beat you, that changes things."

Given Humphries renown in the darting world currently though, he is well adept at seizing on any sign of weakness. "Sometimes you can tell someone’s nervous or trying too hard. If they’re in the lead and start wobbling, you know they’re thinking about the upset, the headlines. I’ve noticed that" he explains. "That’s when you put pressure on, make it harder for them to close the game. It’s happened quite a few times where I felt I was out of it, but then I sensed the nerves and got back in."

And there is arguably no one better and getting the job done than the world number one. "Yeah, I know how to close games out. I know how to win tight games," he smiles. "That used to affect me years ago — tight matches, last-leg deciders — I’d try too hard and lose. But I’ve been in those situations so many times now, it doesn’t bother me. Experience helps. It gives you those psychological edges."

Because of that kind of killer instinct, Luke Humphries won the Premier League Darts earlier this year, completing the sport's fabled Triple Crown at just 30 years of age. Still, he's not hit his peak yet. "I believe I can get better, but I have to work harder to achieve that. I’ve got to start practicing more. I can’t sit here saying I’m not getting better if I’m not putting in the work," he declares firmly.

"These long-format tournaments suit me. Once I get in a rhythm after two or three legs — I’m sometimes a slow starter — I’m tough to pull back," he adds. "Long formats make it harder to beat players like me, Luke Littler, and Gerwyn Price. That’s why you see us winning these big ones."

The aforementioned Littler has emerged as Humphries main rival for titles over the last couple of years. There is much mutual respect between the pair though. "We’ve played so many times in such a short time. He’s fascinating to play against — one minute he doesn’t miss, and he brings the best out of me," Humphries says warmly. "He’s got that Phil Taylor aura. You know when you’re playing someone big. It just feels different. You have to raise your level, and I think that’s why we have so many great games. I hope it’s a rivalry that lasts 5 to 10 years."

Although Littler has that "Phil Taylor aura", Humphries doesn't see The Nuke or anyone dominating the sport like the 16-time world champion did in his pomp.

"There are about 30 players now that can give you a really tough game. There are 127 players on tour who could beat you. No disrespect to Phil, but back then, there weren’t as many challengers," says the 2024 world champion. "That doesn’t take anything away from what he did — he would still dominate in any era — but it’s harder now. There are more fearless young players now."

Whilst a Tayloresque dominance may be off the cards, Humphries isn't exactly doing bad for himself in 2025. "This year’s already a success — two big majors, the Premier League, and the US Darts Masters. But when you’re at the top, you’ve got to keep winning. I want to stay world number one. Realistically, I probably need to win the World Championship to do that. That’s the ultimate goal — win the Worlds, stay number one," he concludes. "I’ve won eight major titles in under two years. Only Phil and Michael have done that before. It all came so quickly. So now it’s about defending those titles — the Grand Slam, Grand Prix, Players Championship, and the Worlds. And it starts next week in Blackpool."