World number two Luke Humphries has publicly advocated for a format change in the Premier League Darts, arguing that the current eight-player field no longer fully reflects the sport's rising standard. In comments made on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, Humphries described the 2026 edition as the strongest he has experienced, citing the arrival of new names like Gian van Veen and Josh Rock as immediate impacts. "I think it's the best. The additions of Gian [van Veen] and Josh [Rock], two really heavy scorers, are going to make it exciting for me," Humphries said. "It is going to be challenging for us all because when you have heavy scorers, they can take the game away from you very quickly."
Humphries also highlighted the strength of the established players, noting that Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton, and Stephen Bunting contribute to a "great lineup." He believes the growing quality at the top makes it logical to expand the Premier League in the future. "It's a great lineup of players. The way the standard is going, I would be adamant to up it to a few more players because it is so hard to pick," stated the former world champion. He pointed to Danny Noppert, James Wade, and Nathan Aspinall as examples of players who "could have been in it," underscoring the difficulty of selection.
With such a deep field, Humphries expects wins to be more widely distributed this year, reducing the dominance of a few players. "It's going to be tough and I don't think you guys will see me or Luke winning nights all the time," he added. "I think you will see it shared out a lot more this year." Currently, Humphries sits sixth in the Premier League table after winning one of his first three matches. The competition moves to Glasgow this week, where he is set to face Josh Rock.
