Recent Machineseeker European Championship victor Ross Smith has put forward a compelling case for his maiden Premier League selection after climbing to a career-best sixth place on the PDC Order of Merit. The English competitor recently defeated Martin Schindler 11-8 in Dortmund to claim his second major television crown of the campaign, supplementing his September victory at the World Series Finals. By securing a second European Championship trophy to complement his 2022 triumph, Smith joined an elite group of multi-time winners alongside Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, and Peter Wright. His impressive year also features two victories on both the European Tour and the Players Championship circuit, leading the thrower to state recently that his current performances mean he ‘definitely’ warrants a spot in the prestigious roadshow.
Addressing Smith’s prospective inclusion, Professional Darts Corporation chief executive Matt Porter acknowledged the player’s remarkable rise during an interview on Wednesday. “Ross [Smith] has had a magnificent year,” Porter said. “He won the European Championship a few years ago, but perhaps at the time didn’t then back that up by getting into the latter stages of tournaments on a regular basis. He’s proven now that he can do that. He’s proven he can live with and beat the best players in the world. And he now is one of the best players in the world. So I don’t think it would be a surprise for many people if Ross were to be included.” Selection for the lucrative tournament relies on the top four players from the PDC Order of Merit after the World Darts Championship, supplemented by four wildcard picks to form the final eight-man roster.
Conversely, seven-time Premier League monarch Michael van Gerwen faces questions regarding his participation following an unusually difficult year on the dartboard. The 37-year-old Dutchman has been eliminated in the opening round of four European Tour stops this year—the Swiss Darts Trophy, Flanders Darts Trophy, German Darts Grand Prix, and European Darts Trophy—marking his highest total of first-round exits since the tour’s inception in 2012. Early departures at the European Championship and World Grand Prix, along with a second-round exit at the World Matchplay, were further compounded when Scott Williams halted him in the quarter-finals of Players Championship 30—his sole progress past the opening round in his last five outings. Nevertheless, Porter minimized speculation surrounding the veteran champion, who lifted the Premier League trophy in 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023. “I think Michael’s career record speaks for itself,” Porter said. “He’s had a difficult year, but, you know, he’s committed to the tour. He’s stuck by what he wants to do, and I think he’ll come again.”
Beyond individual roster decisions, the PDC leadership is actively evaluating potential modifications to the Premier League layout, which first debuted in 2005. Under the structure established in 2022, eight contenders participate in mini-knockout brackets across 16 regular calendar nights, where nightly champions gain five points, runners-up take three, losing semi-finalists get two, and opening-round losers receive none. This replaced the previous mechanism used through 2021, where 10 participants contested best-of-12-leg matches before two players were eliminated on ‘Judgement Night’ after week nine. Explaining the current setup, Porter said: “I think the format is solid. I think the fact you see the top players playing each other every week is strong. It’s great for the live crowds in the arenas. It keeps them engaged. It keeps fans on TV engaged until the end.”
Comparing the current dynamic to past iterations, Porter noted that earlier league structures often saw diminishing spectator interest toward the end of broadcasted evenings. “Previously, when there’d been just more generic league stage matches, you’d see a fall off in attendance and you’d see people leaving the arenas as the evening went on, and that’s not something we want,” Porter stated. He indicated that fresh modifications remain under consideration to ensure the event maintains its appeal over time. “But we’re very conscious of the need to keep it fresh. The Premier League format has evolved a number of times over its 20-odd year history, and it will continue to do so. So we’ve got a couple of little concepts that we’re looking at and things we’ll introduce at the right time. We’ll never keep everybody happy, but as long as they’re talking about it, that’s all we can ask for.” Broadcast coverage of the sport continues with the Grand Slam of Darts scheduled from November 14 to 22, followed by the World Darts Championship spanning December 11 to January 3.
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