PDC Premier League 2023

roosterman71

The non ranking, invitational and largely irrelevant premier league is back. Just announced, the 8 player line up

• Michael Smith
• Peter Wright
• Michael van Gerwen
• Gerwyn Price
• Jonny Clayton
• Nathan Aspinall
• Dimitri Van den Bergh
• Chris Dobey

First 4 I get due to the being the top 4 ranked players in the world, recent world champions, etc.

• Clayton is a strange one. Ranked 7 in the OoM, won nothing of note in 2022 and is expected to tumble down the rankings as his 2021 winnings come off his OoM during the year.
• Aspinall fared a bit better than Clayton and got to 2 ranking finals, He seems to be on an upward trajectory.
• Dimi (something about him and I can't warm to him). Won a solitary "televised" non ranking thing in the World Series. Did well in the Worlds to get to the last 4.
• Dobey only in on the basis of winning the Masters.

I don't get how any of these managed to get in. I'd have put Humphries in for his European exploits at least. Plus he's #5 in the World. Noppert won the UK Open. Surely thats more prestigious than the Nordic Darts Masters! And i'm shocked, shocked I tell you that Barry Hearne didn't put Josh Rock in.

The qualification for this event is a secret. I'd have the major winners included, the world #1 and then go on the OoM placings after that to fill the field.

Dillonb3

Strange selection alrite. Ross Smith and Noppert can feel hard done by since they won actual majors.

I would've considered Joe Cullen as well, he can be unplayable at times

topnotch

Luke Humphries would put everyone to sleep. I just can’t warm to him. Cross would have been good but he talked him self out of contention.

Kingp35

I don't watch this glorified exhibition tour but that is an extremely strange selection. Luke Humphries can feel very hard done by, as can Rob Cross.

TheChrisD

This year's lineup is a joke. Humphries/Noppert/Ross Smith would have been far better picks than Clayton/Asp/Dimi.

Just goes to show that the 8-player format is stupid and should be scrapped. It needs to be 12 players as before, or even 16 players in two groups of eight!

boomdocker

I'd have thought Dimi must have got in to fulfil a need to have another continental European player in addition to MvG, but then there again there are only 2/17 nights outside the British Isles, so that doesn't make sense

Luke Humphries should be well pissed off, they even rubbed salt in it today by giving him the Pro-Tour Player of the Year ffs

Like Dobey getting in for winning the Maters.....that's nuts

US3

Having an unranked 24 man tournament as having more weight than the UK Open or European Championship is unbelievably stupid. Noppert , Smith and Humphreys should be there instead of Dimi, Clayton and Aspinall. It doesn't bother me really though as I don't think I saw a single dart last year .

PTH2009

How many 'Major titles' are there ???

Maybe qualification for Top 4 and then the winners of the majors (if not in top 4) ??

US3

UK Open, Matchplay , Grand prix, Grandslam, Euros, Players Champs and world championship are the only ranked tv tournaments. Premier league should go by the order of merit it or a criteria that everyone knows what they have to do to get a spot.

Dillonb3

Crowd nearly silent for Dmitri and Clayton's walkons

ThebitterLemon

What a load of BS, players to prove themselves consistently before they get in….

Yeah right …Dobey

https://dartsnews.com/pdc/pdc-chief-executive-matt-porter-on-ross-smith-and-noppert-premier-league-darts-snub-we-want-to-see-players-consistently-reaching-the-last-stages-of-tournaments

TbL

TipsyMcStagge

Dobey wins the opening night with a 160 finish! Cracking final to be fair.

buster180

Lovely crowd at the darts in Belfast...

https://twitter.com/anonymous_darts/status/1621435992656723970

Kingp35

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120197170#Comment_120197170

That's fairly standard at the premier League. You'd see the same in Dublin, one of the many reasons I stopped going.

boomdocker

I know it's been said before many times, but jeez it really is a glorified exhibition to get punters in the door

Final last night - Price and Aspinall - like they were down the pub playing with their mates, not an ounce of competitive edge between them

TipsyMcStagge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120222942#Comment_120222942

Yeah it's absolute shite the finals night is the only one worth watching.

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120222942#Comment_120222942

I though Aspinall was trying to hard to show he was buddies with Price in the hope the crowd would go easy on him you can't be fully concentrated if you are acting like that it was cringworthy.

If you were throwing your mates for €2 you wouldn't carry on like that.

boomdocker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120223034#Comment_120223034

Fact

Deeper Blue

*Switches on PL darts from Dublin*

*Hears Yaya/Kolo Toure chant*

*Switches off PL darts from Dublin*

Kingp35

I didn't even complete step one. I have not seen a single dart thrown yet.

US3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120282749#Comment_120282749

Same as that just check the results is all. Hard to think these same matches go on for another 13 weeks

paintitwhite

Thought the atmosphere was much more muted last night than most years since 2014 when I first went. That said I don't think the current format helps atmosphere

PTH2009

How come the pairings for first round games tonight are the same as last week ??

ArmaniJeanss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120393425#Comment_120393425

Almost pure coincidence. This week was pre-ordained from the start (for no particular reason) as being 1v8, 2v7 etc and it just so happened that the table after week 7 landed in such a way that the Week 8 fixtures were a repeat of week 7.

buster180

Looks like some of the players are getting fed up with the format,

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/21897634/michael-van-gerwen-premier-league-darts-future-doubt/

ThebitterLemon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120430358#Comment_120430358

It’s a joke tbh. A glorified exhibition and a poor one at that.

Needs a total rethink

If it wasn’t for the size of the prize fund most of the top lads wouldn’t bother.

TbL

US3

Price is in some form, seems to be averaging well over a ton most games the last month or 2.

US3

Been a month since anyone posted here, domes this new format up. Only 1 week left anyway, Smith and Price unstoppable the last few months

Kingp35

It's purely for the casual fan, an exhibition tour in everything but name, and an utterly boring one too.

ThebitterLemon

It’s gets more boring every year if that’s even possible, I’d watch BBC Parliamentary TV that this rubbish 😆

TbL

Dillonb3

Price hammering Clayton. Looking the form player coming up to the matchplay