Premier League Darts line-up decisions made over Luke Littler’s title defence rivals

The Premier League Darts line-up is set for a shake-up this year, with the entrants as unclear as we’ve seen in recent years.

The top four from the PDC’s Order of Merit may secure automatic entry but the remaining four contenders are handpicked by the game’s top brass. Last year the PDC make a bold move by introducing Luke Littler to the just one month after his World Championship debut.

And it proved a work of genius as he went on to win the tournament having played at his very best throughout the competition. This year, Littler has secured his place in the top four, leaving the PDC with some tough decisions to make.

Previous competitors such as Michael Smith, Gerwyn Price, Peter Wright and Gary Anderson have seen their world rankings slip, putting their places in jeopardy. The official line-up will be announced by the PDC in January following the conclusion of the World Championship.

In the meantime, our darts experts, who compiled the publication, have shared their predictions on who they believe will be selected following the end of the second round at Alexandra Palace….

Nick Murphy

• Luke Littler
• Luke Humphries
• Michael van Gerwen
• Chris Dobey
• Stephen Bunting
• Nathan Aspinall
• Gary Anderson
• Damon Heta

Luke Littler, Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen pick themselves…but then things get interesting. An early Rob Cross exit and a big run from Chris Dobey – the first of which has already happened the latter of which has every chance of happening – could see nick the last automatic spot.

You’re then looking at four from about 15, which is a tough old task to narrow down. But for the sheer entertainment factor I’d go with Stephen Bunting, Nathan Aspinall, Gary Anderson (if he wants it) and Damon Heta. The likes of Cross and Gerwyn Price have had ample chances in the in recent years, now it’s time to freshen things up. But ask me again tomorrow you might get a different answer!

Joshua Peck

• Like Humphries
• Michael van Gerwen
• Luke Littler
• Rob Cross
• Damon Heta
• Stephen Bunting
• Gerwyn Price
• Chris Dobey

Yes, the has huge prize money – but it’s not a ranking event.

The crowds will come but what they really want to see are characters. Gerwyn Price, Damon Heta and Stephen Bunting fit that bill (apologies to Dave Chisnall).

Gary Anderson would have been my pick for the final spot before his defeat to Jeffrey De Graaf, but I’m backing Chris Dobey to have a good run at Ally Pally and sneak in.

Or there’s always another big character in Peter Wright, who looked really focused in his round two win over Wesley Plaisier.

James Whaling

• Luke Humhpries
• Luke Littler
• Michael van Gerwen
• Rob Cross
• Damon Heta
• Stephen Bunting
• Josh Rock
• Ricky Evans

Let’s have it right – the isn’t a proper darts tournament. It’s a big-money exhibition. And what do you want at exhibitions? Crowd favourites. The needs a shake-up and this line-up would do just that.

Humphries, Littler and MVG are guaranteed to be there on the order of merit. Cross may well lose his top-four spot after going out of Ally Pally in the second round, but has probably done enough over the course of the year to convince PDC chiefs he is worthy of his place.

Now for the wildcards. Heta and Bunting are on a collision course to meet in the fourth round of the World Championship, but provided they both get there and give us a memorable clash, I think they could both get the nod given their popularity with the crowd.

There is nothing the PDC money machine would love more than Rock and Littler to strike up a rivalry, and the Northern Irishman looks to have a fighting chance of coming through his quarter at the Worlds.

Evans is the longshot, but why the hell not? He was superb in his win over Dave Chisnall and has the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. His next two games at Ally Pally look winnable, and even a quarter-final defeat to Van Gerwen could be enough to get him in.

Aaron Flanagan

• Luke Humphries
• Luke Littler
• Michael van Gerwen
• Rob Cross
• Stephen Bunting
• Gerwyn Price
• Damon Heta
• Michael Smith

Barring a big result for either Damon Heta, Jonny Clayton or Stephen Bunting at Ally Pally, it should be Rob Cross getting the fourth automatic spot, which is the just rewards for a decent year, where he has been one of the top performers, regardless of his Ally Pally exit in round two.

The is ready for Stephen Bunting. The roadshow is about entertaining fans and he certainly has the fanbase – and now been throwing the darts to back it up.

Heta gets in purely on form, but also because he is a complete entertainer. He could produce a new wild entrance each week and also has the darting ability to justify the inclusion too. He’s the perfect personality for an event like this.

Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith have undoubtedly had bad years, but both have enough credit in the bank to be included. Price is the pantomime villain, which the event always needs, while Smith has a huge fan base and is aesthetically pleasing to watch. With the places so significantly up in the air, the PDC can’t go wrong with two reliable entertainers.

For clarity, I was working on the premise that Gary Anderson would again not want a place in the competition. Whether he would get one anyway, following his Ally Pally exit, is another question.

Harry Crichton

• Luke Humphries

• Michael van Gerwen

• Luke Littler

• Rob Cross

• Stephen Bunting

• Michael Smith

• Gerwyn Price

• Peter Wright

Despite his early exit from Ally Pally, I am backing Rob Cross to hold on to fourth spot and secure his place in the .

Stephen Bunting gets in. A Masters win, a 2024 average of 96.93 and the charisma to cope in the , Bunting has earned it. He has been consistently mixing it with the big boys and would bring a fresh face to the circuit.

Gerwyn Price has done just enough to stay this year – and he was impressive in his second round match at Ally Pally. The sport needs characters like the Iceman and his Aussie Masters demolition of Littler proves class is permanent.

Then there’s what to do with the 2024 flops. Michael Smith clings on. Buoyed by glimpses of brilliance, as well as his immense popularity, as well as the legacy of his Ally Pally triumph in 2022, getting rid of Bully Boy would be premature.

Wright is a problem, I admit. A snake with no bite this year, but legends rise under pressure, and Ally Pally is the perfect stage to hit the reset button. I am backing him to make the cut.