"They just put the same faces in every time and that can get boring" - Ryan Searle calls on PDC to shake-up Premier League Darts in 2025

Ryan Searle made a really good impression in his first match at the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship on Sunday afternoon at the Alexandra Palace. Losing just one leg, 'Heavy Metal' emphatically dispatched Canadian number one Matt Campbell.

Averaging just shy of the 100 mark in the end, Searle fired in four maximums, hit a high checkout of 164 and finished with a checkout success rate of 52.9%. All in all a very impressive display from the 20th seed, who will now face off against Ryan Joyce in the third round after Christmas.

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"I feel like I played alright," Searle assessed modestly when speaking to the assembled media immediately following his victory. "I think the first set was massive, he missed three darts to make it two all and get the throwback and I think that was a massive turning point of the game, even though it was so early. I feel like that deflated him a little bit and yeah, I didn't really look back from there."

“I’m not too worried about laying down a marker. I’ve been around long enough for people to know that I can play really well and turn anyone over on my day. It’s just being consistent," Searle continues. “I’m actually really proud of the season. As a PDC Tour card holder, this is the best I’ve ever had. Six or seven years in, not many can say that. I started the season really well, I always have a dip around summertime. I don’t put as much effort in as I should. But I had a practice with Gary Anderson on Monday and the darts were flying in. I took confidence from that. I’ve just carried that on."

"The next step, it’s no secret, is to have more runs in majors. This season, the Euro Tour has been really good. It’s just the majors I need to improve," he adds. “The game is there for me to win tournaments and I honestly believe I will win a major one day. It’s just when it happens, basically. I just need to believe in myself a bit more and get Gary out for more practice sessions. I treat the Worlds as every other major.”

Searle celebrates his victory

Given the open nature of darts at the moment, the 2025 Premier League Darts looks like being one of the toughest lineups to select in modern memory. After the early World Darts Championship exits of the likes of Michael Smith, Danny Noppert and Mike de Decker, the hopes of Searle himself have been boosted by this victory. According to 'Heavy Metal' though, the whole Premier League Darts itself is in desperate need for a shakeup.

“I think the Premier League probably needs a little bit of shake-up and I think this season there’s going to have to be some new faces. The normal faces that fit in the game, they are not playing well enough to be in there. It’s as simple as that, really," Searle explains. “I’m not saying I should be in over anyone, but if I do well enough in this tournament, maybe make a semi or final or something, I’d love to be in it if I was picked just out of merit. There’s no reason why they can’t shake it up, get a few more new faces into it. They just seem to put the same faces in it every time and that can get boring. There’s plenty of other players who don’t necessarily deserve a spot, but it wouldn’t hurt to put them in.”

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