Chatting Bull with Dan Dawson - Issue #010
I wouldn’t say I’ve been dominant; you’re just seeing a player who’s been in the form of his life for the last three months”
- Luke Humphries
These were the words of Luke Humphries in January, following the World Championship title that took him to world number one for the first time in his career, after his previous major titles at the Grand Prix, Grand Slam and Players Championship Finals. Since then, he has also reached the finals of both the UK Open and Premier League, before winning the World Matchplay. He now holds most of the major titles in PDC darts; it puts him almost £600,000 clear at the top of the Order of Merit; and it must now be considered as “dominant”.
It also brings an end to a chaotic, unpredictable (and in my view entertaining) spell in darts, where nobody had a clue who would walk away with the trophies in any of the major events. Up until the end of 2013, Phil Taylor was the main man, then it was Michael van Gerwen for the next half a decade, but from 2020 we have seen a series of first-time major winners - Jose de Sousa, Jonny Clayton, Chris Dobey, Dimitri Van den Bergh, Joe Cullen, Danny Noppert, Ross Smith, Michael Smith (eventually), Andrew Gilding, Stephen Bunting, and most recently Target’s Luke Littler in the Premier League.
Humphries has restored some order to the world of darts over the last year to give the sport a focal point, just like van Gerwen and Taylor before him. This is probably a good thing for darts - as enjoyable as it is for hardcore fans to see a more unpredictable scene, it is perhaps better for there to be a leading light for more casual viewers to focus on, especially a player who has approached his duties as World Champion and world number one in such a classy manner. However, for it to be compelling, he needs rivals - just as Lloyd, Barneveld and Part were to Taylor, or Wright, Anderson and Taylor himself were to van Gerwen.
There is no shortage: van Gerwen showed in Blackpool that he remains one of the world’s most dangerous players, Littler looks like he could go on to win everything in the game, and excitingly Rob Cross has been consistently producing the kind of displays that have already seen him claim four major titles. They are just three examples from many we could pick.
I have written before that the strength in professional darts is more in its depth than at the very top over the last few years, and while Humphries’ recent rise may change that dynamic, it does not negate that strength. Instead, it means that there are more landmines around which Luke will have to tiptoe in every big tournament he plays - not just one or two players who are threats. “Cool Hand” may well be the dominant force in the sport right now and could remain so for some time. How long he does that for will determine where he ends up sitting in the list of the all-time greats.
Issue #010 Quiz Answers
1) 12g
2) Rob Cross
3) Chris Dobey
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