Rob Cross has expressed surprise at Luke Littler's position in the Premier League Darts table after a month of competition, but insists the 19-year-old world champion will soon rebound. Littler currently sits in the bottom half of the table with just four points, a notable contrast to his dominance in recent years. "I don't think anyone had it on their bingo card that Luke Littler and Luke Humphries would be in the bottom three after a month of the Premier League," Cross told Oche180. "They've not even had a final each and that is almost unthinkable considering they've dominated the sport for three years."
Cross believes Littler's frustration is evident, particularly after his loss to Jonny Clayton in Belfast, where he also faced whistling from fans. "It will annoy him that it's not clicked yet in the Premier League," Cross said. "He got some stick from the crowd which is a shame but that won't bother him. That boy is made of stern stuff." He attributes the slow start partly to the Premier League's shorter format, which leaves little room for error against top opponents. "The short format at the Premier League doesn't allow him to get into his stride. He can be a slow starter and there's no room for error against the biggest names in the sport."
Despite the current standings, Cross sees no cause for concern, pointing to Littler's past Premier League successes. "That's never been an issue before, in his two previous Premier Leagues he's won it and finished second." He expects Littler to turn things around, predicting, "The Littler storm is coming." Cross adds that Littler only needs to make the top four to reach the play-offs at the O2 in late May, and he suspects criticism will only motivate him further. "With Luke he'll likely be enjoying some people writing him off. Then he'll come roaring back, lift the trophy and tell them all again 'you're not doubting me now' just like he did two years ago."
Cross also backs Luke Humphries to climb the table soon, noting his incredible play. "It's so hard to explain how Luke isn't winning nights. He's playing absolutely incredible." He believes Humphries' scoring power will soon be rewarded, saying, "That won't last for long. With his scoring power, it will come right and he'll also be hard to stop."
