Darts legend disagrees with Luke Humphries and applies heat with 'boring' verdict

Darts icon Steve Beaton has shot down the opinions of world No.1 over the current campaign. With just one Thursday night meeting left before finals night at the O2 on May 29, Humphries has already secured second place in the table behind runaway leader .

The two rivals look odds-on to meet in the final for the second consecutive year. It was 'The Nuke' who prevailed in 2024, and the intense rivalry between the pair has continued. Last Thursday, they played out a high-quality match as Littler ended with an average of 115.96 in his 6-3 win, while Humphries finished averaging 110.01.

The clash followed 'Cool Hand Luke' defending the league format after . He responded by saying: "Do you want to see the best players in the world playing against each other? Or do you want to wait six months?

"I think a lot of people say 'Oh, it gets boring'. But I tell you what I love watching, the two best sportsmen in the world going against each other in other sports. For me, as a sports fan, I just personally love seeing the best go against each other."

However, 1996 BDO champion Beaten disagrees. The 62-year-old, who retired from the professional tour last year, thinks the game's top stars now meet too often, diluting fans' interest.

"I think the Premier League could be changed a bit. It's getting a bit boring now," he told Online Darts. "I know they sell it out all the time. It was nice to see Luke and Luke play each other, but almost every week they're playing each other.

"There are too many of the same players playing each other. Before, the top players met now and again; now they're playing all the time. I don't think it's such a big thing when they do play each other."

However, the Bronzed Adonis acknowledged that ticket sales remain high, with Premier League venues selling out weekly. The players head to Sheffield this week with and vying for the fourth finals night spot, with having already qualified alongside Littler and Humphries.