"What I meant was he’s the most talented darts player ever": Luke Humphries stands by Luke Littler greatest sentiment over Phil Taylor
PDC
The Premier League Darts 2026 kicks off tonight in Newcastle, which also marks the start of Luke Humphries’ title defence. Humphries reached the final of the Winmau World Masters last weekend, where he narrowly came up short against Luke Littler.
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The 30-year-old Englishman, who has established himself as a permanent fixture at the very top in recent years, exudes calm and confidence. No nerves, no undue pressure. “Not really, no. I don’t think it feels any different,” Humphries says. “Obviously there’s the added expectation that you don’t want to see it go back to someone else, you want to win it again. But it’s a 16 or 17-week tournament, so you can’t be getting pressured on the first night.”
That composure defines Humphries in this phase of his career. Once known as a talent with occasional peaks, he has evolved into a player who produces an exceptionally high level week in, week out. And it’s precisely that consistency he identifies as his biggest strength heading into his Premier League title defence.
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Confidence after a stellar Masters
Although Humphries narrowly missed out on the Masters title last weekend, the overriding feeling is positive. “Obviously not winning was disappointing, but it’s just the way I played,” he explains. “I think it’s given me a big boost of confidence, to be fair.”
His scoring, in particular, stood out. “My scoring ability was probably the best it’s been ever, maybe. My 180 hitting was the best I’ve ever seen, really, and the amount of times I was knocking on nine darts was a nice confidence boost for myself.”
Humphries believes that’s the key. The scoring is there, and the doubles often follow naturally. “If I supply both together, then I become a completely different, dangerous player.”
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The rivalry with Luke Littler
As so often in modern darts, the conversation quickly turns to his biggest rival: Luke Littler. Humphries doesn’t deny that the young sensation is currently setting the benchmark. “I think he’s definitely a league above everyone,” he admits. “But I’m the one that’s closest to him at this moment in time. I’m the one that can really push him and stretch him out a little bit.”
Still, Humphries doesn’t put himself on a pedestal. “I don’t just think that I’m the dominating force behind him,” he says. “Gerwyn Price and Gian van Veen are definitely two players that are playing good darts, and they can definitely challenge not just him, me and everyone else.”
What often separates Humphries, he feels, is consistency. “Maybe I’m not better than certain players, I’m just more consistent, and that’s what is key to making these big, major finals.”
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That sometimes leads to criticism that finals become predictable. Humphries understands that sentiment but recognises the reality. “If it’s anybody else, it could be one-sided, like we’ve seen many, many times. So, yes, it’s always exciting playing him, because there is so much to play for.”
He also made comments last week calling Littler the best ever and he clarified that. "I said it in the moment, but I still stand by it, maybe just the wrong word. I wouldn’t backtrack.
"What I meant was he’s the most talented darts player ever. Phil Taylor has achieved so much that it’s unfair not to call him the greatest, but in terms of talent, temperament, handling pressure — Luke has everything."
Development remains a key theme in Humphries’ story. The Englishman has made deliberate choices recently in terms of equipment and lifestyle. “It’s the small little changes that give you one or two percent on top of your already decent ability, and that can help me massively,” he explains.
His new darts have already paid dividends, though he remains cautious. “I’ve got to be careful not to get too excited, because one bad performance and you don’t want the negative thoughts coming in. But I’ve proven that they work.”
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Humphries is also placing a greater emphasis on his health. “The new health regime, where I’m really starting to look after my health even more than I already did before, is definitely paying its dividends. Hopefully, it allows me to have another 10 to 15 years of a great career.”
Experience as the key
Defending a Premier League Darts title is a rare feat. Only Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen have managed it. Humphries is fully aware of the challenge. “That does show how difficult it is to do it,” he says. “I’ve made two finals and won it once, so I’ve got that good experience to fall back on.”
Since his Premier League debut, Humphries feels he has matured. “You kind of know what to expect now,” he explains. “It’s easy to go into it thinking you need to sprint off early, but it’s a marathon. You have to allow yourself a couple of bad weeks.”
He also believes that experience gives him an edge. “That experience definitely does help in the end. For the new players, they’ll soon learn those sort of things.”
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Looking back on the Masters, a slight frustration remains. With averages consistently above 100, Humphries feels he could have gone all the way. “You can sit back and think, a tournament average of 104 or 105 — how have you not won the tournament?” he says. “But that’s what happens when you don’t take those crucial moments.”
He doesn’t believe it’s about finding another gear, but about timing. “The gear’s there. It’s the timing. Missing crucial shots here, missing crucial doubles there. That’s what I’ve got to clean up.”
After the final, Humphries made headlines by suggesting Luke Littler might be the greatest player ever. He now clarifies his stance. “Maybe I used the wrong word,” he admits. “Phil has achieved so much that it’s kind of harsh not to call him the greatest. But I definitely still stand by the fact that Luke is the most talented dart player ever.”
That doesn’t mean Humphries is ready to step aside. “That’s not me saying I’m going to accept defeat every time,” he adds. “I’m still willing to challenge him and push him all the way.”
Ambition: top five of all time
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Where does Humphries place himself historically? “Maybe I might have put myself in the top ten now,” he says cautiously. “One World Championship is probably the stumbling block. If I can win another, then I’d say definitely top ten.”
His ambition stretches even further. “I’d love to get into that top five by the end of my career. That’s the goal.”
Humphries expects the Premier League field to be tougher than ever. “I think this is the best one, to be honest,” he says. With additions like Gian van Veen and Josh Rock alongside established stars Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton and Stephen Bunting, he predicts a fiercely competitive campaign. “I don’t think you’re going to see me or Luke winning nights all the time. I think you’ll see it shared out quite a bit more this year.”
As for the opening night in Newcastle, Humphries couldn’t ask for much more. “One of the best atmospheres on the Premier League calendar,” he smiles. “Geordies are some of the best fans. It’s going to be a great night.”
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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