James Wade is currently one of the standout players of the 2026 darts season. Only a week ago, “The Machine” won on the European Tour in Antwerp. The Englishman also reached the UK Open final and made the quarterfinals at the World Masters, World Matchplay, and World Series Finals.
Gabriel Clemens has tracked Wade’s rise up close on tour throughout the year and is convinced: there’s no getting around James Wade for next season’s Premier League.
“He’s playing better than ever”
Every week, world number 48 Gabriel Clemens, two-time World Championship participant Robert Marijanovic, and Bundesliga player Marcel Althaus discuss the latest PDC action on their podcast Darts auf die 1.
The latest episode focused on James Wade’s recent successes. Just days before recording, he had claimed his first European Tour title in ten years, further underlining his strong form this season. The podcast sparked a debate about the likelihood of a Premier League nomination for the 43-year-old.
For Gabriel Clemens, it’s a formality that Wade will be invited in 2027. “I said it two weeks ago and I believe (..) they can’t overlook him. Honestly.”
His podcast partner Marcel Althaus agrees, even seeing a direct qualification as possible. “If he gets into the top four, then it’s a lock anyway. But we also need to talk about what an insane season he’s putting together. He’s playing better than ever.”
Wade currently sits sixth on the Order of Merit, about £60,000 behind fourth-placed Gerwyn Price. The world’s top four qualify automatically for the Premier League and do not have to wait for one of the four invitations.
Robert Marijanovic is particularly impressed by Wade’s evolution: “He might even be in his prime right now. Looking at the numbers, I’m pretty sure, because in my memory James Wade never strung together so many good averages.” He also sees Wade’s ability to strike in key moments as even stronger: “That timing—his timing was brutal anyway—but now he’s just marching through. It’s heavy stuff.”
After a strong year, James Wade has every reason to hope for a Premier League nomination.
“There’s that average range that James Wade always beats”
Althaus illustrates Marijanovic’s point with a vivid example. “How crazy is it that before the match you know: ‘If I average 95 and James Wade averages 95, I lose.’ That’s insane. And that’s really how it is. There’s that average range that James Wade always beats.”
The trio see a clear development in Wade’s game. “These days he’s often over 100. His scoring is excellent, and it feels like he’s hitting a lot more 180s this year,” says the German Giant.
Althaus adds that Wade has also become more entertaining to watch. “That matters for Sky too: Who do we invite, how do we approach it if a player is a bit slower. But if Wade is scoring like this, he’s much more appealing for the TV cameras again.”
Read also
Co-favorite at the World Grand Prix
Those TV cameras will be back on the Englishman from 29.09.2026. On Monday, James Wade opens his World Grand Prix campaign against Joe Cullen. Germany’s number four even gives him title chances in Leicester. “You have to say: for the Grand Prix, the next big major, James Wade is a co-favorite. Double-in, double-out suits him. He’s incredibly strong on double 10 and double 20. That’s why I absolutely see him as a co-favorite there.”
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026
- She's technically not a professional though as she doesn't hold a pro tour card.mr-pablo04-11-2026
- Such a shame that lakeside has been reduced to this. Fantastic venue,and previously a great tournament. Not any morerick6703-11-2026
- Seems to me that the top 16 players pick and choose whatever they want to play. Good,all the money will get spread out more. They get more money from exhibitions than tournaments so let them all withdrawrick6703-11-2026
- Play all legs and the winners split the pot. Luke gets the lot of he wins them all. If your occupation is darts player you can't enter, regardless of ability.BandB01-11-2026
- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026
- Fair play to Fallon. But...shows the mockery when a professional players wins what was meant to be an amateur v Pro event, Littlers performance was poor, and what about the players who didn't get a game? Would have been better if the pot was split amoungst all the winners and they all got a leg.BandB31-10-2026
- Not even slightly interestedrick6730-10-2026
- And yet the PDC has decided to aggravate this problem by doubling the Players Championship Finals field from 2027. I can't imagine there will be fewer withdrawals next year with even less reason to turn up. I can only hope that a whole slew of Challenge Tour top-up players receive enough prize money in the absence of much of the elite, that some of the more complacent among them struggle to scrape into even a heavily diluted field! More semi-pro players will get to test their mettle, but the standard of competition will be much inferior. It could hardly be said that the Players Championship series will provide an opportunity for darts' second string to test their Tour Card credentials anymore, but at least it will underscore the achievements of those Challenge Tour players of current and previous years, who were able to prove themselves as more than capable of competing with, and beating, the elite of the sport on a consistent basis, and reaping the due rewards.Deduce635828-10-2026
- No point in being there? Champions want to win.Deduce635828-10-2026