Darts commentator ‘gutted’ star suffered Premier League snub and calls for major change

Former darts star Mark Webster has claimed it is ‘time for a tweak’ to the Premier League Darts format, after Danny Noppert cruelly missed out.

Noppert was a notable omission when the upcoming edition’s eight-player line-up was announced in early January, as he was denied a wildcard spot despite an impressive 2025.

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Currently ranked tenth in the PDC Order of Merit, the Dutchman made four major semi-final appearances last year.

The world’s top four players qualify automatically for the Premier League, meaning Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen and Michael van Gerwen were instantly entered into the 17-week event.

But Noppert was unable to secure one of the four remaining wildcard spots, a decision which left many surprised.

The chosen quartet were Jonny Clayton, Stephen Bunting, Josh Rock and Gerwyn Price.

Picks are mainly based on player popularity, while commercial appeal and media appearances and overall availability are also considered in the decision-making process.

Other leading names to be snubbed were Nathan Aspinall, who made finals night in 2025, as well as Ryan Searle and Rob Cross.

‘That’ll get tweaked’

With Noppert’s omission a major talking point, 2008 BDO world champion Webster has since shared his disappointment at the Dutch star missing out.

The Welshman, who now works as a commentator, suggested the time may have come for a change in format to the Premier League.

Despite speculation that the competition could be expanded for the 2026 edition, the PDC ultimately stopped short of tweaking it.

Speaking to the Tungsten Tales, Webster said: “It is probably time for a tweak soon and the PDC don’t generally stand still, they do listen and I think they’ll have a look at it this year and see how it goes.

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“It’s successful in terms of, if you’re an audience member you’re watching a mini tournament.

“But I get people want a different format, maybe just to include a few more players as well.

“I wish there was room for a couple more players and I am gutted for Danny Noppert this year, I wish they had extended it this year so Danny could’ve come in. I’m sure that’ll get tweaked. 

“At the minute I enjoy it – it’s watching the best players in the world battle out, week in week out.

“I know you see some repeat match-ups, but when you see the best players on form, playing each other, it’s really good to watch.”

What has Danny Noppert said about his omission?

Noppert’s absence from the Premier League Darts line-up raised plenty of eyebrows, after an impressive past 12 months that saw him climb to a career-high ranking of world no.6.

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As well as some impressive PDC major performances, he also reached the semi-finals at the World Cup of Darts alongside Gian van Veen.

The 35-year-old’s consistent performances saw the PDC draw criticism for awarding Stephen Bunting a spot in the Premier League instead, who finished bottom of last year’s competition.

Despite this, Noppert responded with a classy statement as he addressed his omission on Instagram, writing: “Unfortunately, I wasn’t selected for this year’s Premier League.

“Still, it truly means a lot to me to see more and more people speaking positively about me and mentioning my name as a potential candidate.

“I really appreciate all the support, it genuinely does me good.

“For now, I’ll just concentrate on having another good season. Thank you all once again for the support, and best of luck to everyone competing in the Premier League.”

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The 2026 edition of the Premier League Darts is less than a fortnight away, with the opening night taking place on Thursday, February 5.

It will get underway at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle, where Luke Humphries will begin his defence of his 2025 title.