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‘Damage’ – The surprise package tipped to cause Luke Littler problems at Premier League Darts
Luke Littler remains the favourite to win this year’s Premier League Darts however one player has been tipped to dethrone the teenage sensation. Just as they finally caught their breath following an epic World Championships at Alexandra Palace, darts fans are gearing up for the return of the Premier League. GettyLuke Littler is eyeing a second successive Premier League title[/caption] The 2025 edition kicks off in Belfast on Thursday with the sports’ popularity at an all-time high and the top prize of £275,000 on the line. Over the next 17 weeks, the Premier League will be showcased live from England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Germany and the Netherlands. Central to its growth is recently-crowned world champion Littler who is bidding to retain his Premier League title when the event concludes in London in May. Littler’s meteoric rise since reaching the World Championship final in 2024 as a relatively unknown player has helped transform the sport. And unsurprisingly, the teenage star is the bookies pick to scoop back-to-back Premier League titles. But for the voice of darts Russ Bray, another star has what it takes to see off the seven other competitors, including the 17-year-old sensation. Asked who might emerge as a surprise package, Bray told talkSPORT: “Anyone of the eight can do damage, but I’ll say Stephen Bunting. He’s hit a lot of form at the minute and I’ll tell you, he’s a very likeable character. “You want excitement week in week out and I think the eight boys that they’ve picked for this particular Premier League is probably about the best that we’ve ever had.” Bunting will be eyeing revenge on Littler after the pair went head-to-head in the World Championship semi-final. Littler comfortably saw off Bunting 6-1 to set up a final showdown against Michael van Gerwen. Russ Bray is gearing up for 17 weeks of high-octane action as the Premier League returnsRex Bray has tipped Stephen Bunting to upset the odds in this year’s eventGetty However, since then, Bunting has been in fine form which saw him win the recent Bahrain Masters. His first task in this year’s Premier League will be overcoming Rob Cross who defeated Bunting the final of last month’s Dutch Masters Meanwhile, first up for Littler will be Dutchman Van Gerwen in a repeat of the World Championship final. Bray was full of praise for the Warrington-born star for his reaction to losing the World Championship final to Luke Humphries in 2024 and the way in which he has inspired a new generation to the sport. “It’s unbelievable what he’s done,” Bray said. “Getting to the final last year you thought, could he go one further at that young age? And then to go and win it this year – unbelievable. “It’s just obscene what this kid can do. I love it because it’s just brought a whole new dimension to the game. Bunting will hope he can get one over on Littler after his thumping at the World ChampionshipsRex “It’s the second-most watched sport on Sky. Only Premier League football has a higher number of viewers.” He continued: “The way darts has gone over the last 18 months with the ‘Littler Effect’ as everyone’s calling it, you’ve got a heck of a lot of youngsters now that are playing in academies. “I went to an academy on Sunday morning where they used to average around 15-20 kids. They’ve had to turn kids away because it has gone too big. “When you see some of the talent there, the counting ability and also the darts ability is off the planet at the moment.”
Luke Littler remains the favourite to win this year’s Premier League Darts however one player has been tipped to dethrone the teenage sensation.
Just as they finally caught their breath following an epic World Championships at Alexandra Palace, darts fans are gearing up for the return of the Premier League.
The 2025 edition kicks off in Belfast on Thursday with the sports’ popularity at an all-time high and the top prize of £275,000 on the line.
Over the next 17 weeks, the Premier League will be showcased live from England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Germany and the Netherlands.
Central to its growth is recently-crowned world champion Littler who is bidding to retain his Premier League title when the event concludes in London in May.
Littler’s meteoric rise since reaching the World Championship final in 2024 as a relatively unknown player has helped transform the sport.
And unsurprisingly, the teenage star is the bookies pick to scoop back-to-back Premier League titles.
But for the voice of darts Russ Bray, another star has what it takes to see off the seven other competitors, including the 17-year-old sensation.
Asked who might emerge as a surprise package, Bray told talkSPORT: “Anyone of the eight can do damage, but I’ll say Stephen Bunting. He’s hit a lot of form at the minute and I’ll tell you, he’s a very likeable character.
“You want excitement week in week out and I think the eight boys that they’ve picked for this particular Premier League is probably about the best that we’ve ever had.”
Bunting will be eyeing revenge on Littler after the pair went head-to-head in the World Championship semi-final.
Littler comfortably saw off Bunting 6-1 to set up a final showdown against Michael van Gerwen.
However, since then, Bunting has been in fine form which saw him win the recent Bahrain Masters.
His first task in this year’s Premier League will be overcoming Rob Cross who defeated Bunting the final of last month’s Dutch Masters
Meanwhile, first up for Littler will be Dutchman Van Gerwen in a repeat of the World Championship final.
Bray was full of praise for the Warrington-born star for his reaction to losing the World Championship final to Luke Humphries in 2024 and the way in which he has inspired a new generation to the sport.
“It’s unbelievable what he’s done,” Bray said. “Getting to the final last year you thought, could he go one further at that young age? And then to go and win it this year – unbelievable.
“It’s just obscene what this kid can do. I love it because it’s just brought a whole new dimension to the game.
“It’s the second-most watched sport on Sky. Only Premier League football has a higher number of viewers.”
He continued: “The way darts has gone over the last 18 months with the ‘Littler Effect’ as everyone’s calling it, you’ve got a heck of a lot of youngsters now that are playing in academies.
“I went to an academy on Sunday morning where they used to average around 15-20 kids. They’ve had to turn kids away because it has gone too big.
“When you see some of the talent there, the counting ability and also the darts ability is off the planet at the moment.”
