The debate around who will be picked for the Premier League 2027 has started heating up on social media, darts websites, ports media and darts podcasts.
I wrote about 2027 line up in February – more on this later.
Premier League Players 2027?? – Darts Planet TV
Ross Smith has added to this by picking up his most recent major the European Championship to add to the World series finals earlier this year making it 2 major wins for the year. Noone who has ever won 2 in a year has missed out the following year. Surely Ross has done enough? He probably needs just a solid world championship given his last 2 years have been first round exits. He is ranked 6th as it stands going into 2027 and could easily go to 5th or higher.
MVG has also added to this debate recently claiming during a live feed he will be in the premier league for at least the next two years
I am not sure why MVG needed to be so open about this. Given his ranking and current form if any other player said this it would be almost laughed at. MVG is slipping in the rankings and as it stands unless his ranking improves he will be outside the top 20 to start 2027. People will say it is a goodbye, honourable appearance like Barney had a few years ago. This is a different premier league now thought with as it stands with less players, no relegation and a much bigger more popular product. Would MVG also want to appear in it and be beaten most weeks? It’s an interesting debate on MVG selection for sure with solid arguments on both sides of the debate.
I did say in my previous article I predicted the 8 to be Littler, Humphries, GVV, MVG, Clayton, Price, Aspinall, and Noppert.
I stand by the first 6 names leaving aside the MVG debate for another day and above. Aspinall has had a good year without being too spectacular in majors – he has come up against Littler a lot much to his slight despair no doubt. Noppert has slipped slightly and given he has never been in the premier league must be aware he needs to be appearing in at least a final and maybe even win a major to be in contention.
James Wade has been a major finalist again this year and probably just needs to avoid having a bad end of the year as he has done in the last 2 years which seem to have cost him his place.
Josh Rock and Stephen Bunting appeared in this year’s premier league but it seems are stabilising or slipping and like Noppert will really need to show something to get themselves picked.
There could be others in the mix and this seems likely given there are 3 majors to go and the high prize money stake in the World Championship. Wessel Nijman has been spoken about but after a spectacular start of the year winning floor tournaments and a Euro -Tour his form needs to be fading and has not produced in a major yet. Could someone come from nowhere and win the players championship finals? Given its condensed format and over just 3 days this seems the most likely major to produce a shock winner?
One thing is for sure the debate will hot up and change over time given unknowns on any format changes to come, and fact that we have 3 more majors to go before the end of the year.
My 8 as it stands who I think will be picked Littler, Humphries, GVV, MVG, Clayton, Price, Wade and Ross Smith.
