Did Luke Humphries time his appearance in the Premier League Darts play-offs perfectly?
It became a topic of discussion after ‘Cool Hand’ claimed his first win of 2026 on his 15th attempt in Birmingham, booking his ticket to the final night at London’s O2.
The defending champion defeated Stephen Bunting, Luke Littler and Gerwyn Price to achieve his third consecutive above-average ton and reach the final night with a week to spare.
Humphries’ win confirms the top four ahead of next week’s final league game in Sheffield
The game capped off a remarkable comeback for Humphries. Just five weeks ago, any hope of making it to the tournament finals seemed dead and buried. Due to the loss against Brighton in Round 10, they were in 7th place among the eight-man team with 10 points.
Humphries admitted he needed a “miracle” and that he did it when it mattered most to avoid the hurt of not being able to defend his title.
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Humphries said he was “incredibly proud” after clinching the final playoff spot
Humphries told Sky Sports: “I’m relieved. You can see how I felt at the end.” “This year I struggled.
“I worked incredibly hard and changed to previous points and flights and it worked for me.
“We’ve all been through those phases. It shows the true grit I had when I was in that position. It takes some determination to get through it, but I’m proud of it.”
“I’m incredibly proud of myself, probably the proudest I’ve ever been in my life. The last three weeks have put a lot of pressure on my shoulders.
“When you’re five points out of the top four you think, ‘We need a miracle here.’ I’m really happy to be back at the O2 and at least give it a chance.”
“I’m really proud because if I hadn’t defended my title at the O2 it would have hurt.”
Humphries was staring down defeat to his arch-rival in the semi-finals as Littler hit two darts on favorite double 10 to lead the race to six, 4-0.
But he surprisingly missed, and it proved decisive when Humphries wobbly-footed six in a row to surprise Littler, who was looking for a record victory on the seventh night of the campaign.
The 31-year-old then secured his first weekly win with a 6-4 win over Price and booked his place in London.
Did “Untouchable” Humphries plan his PL run perfectly?
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Humphries wins six legs on the spin to defeat Luke Littler
Wayne Mardle was in awe not only of Humphries’ performance that night, but also of his composure as he led a Premier League defense back from the brink of elimination.
“The way Humphries played leading up to the final, he was kind of untouchable,” Mardle said.
“Scores against Littler and Bunting…even if they’re playing well, it’s not just one triple that gives you an advantage over any opponent.
“He has played three finals in three weeks and won tonight’s final. “He can handle anything next week so there are no negatives at all.
“You have to time it to make a perfect run. He might be doing that. I mean, who’s playing better at the moment?”
What’s happening on Premier League night 16 in Sheffield
The 2026 BetMGM Premier League season will culminate at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena, but the positions that will determine the play-off semi-final pairings are still up for grabs.
The top four for the final night have been confirmed, with group stage winners Luke Littler, Johnny Clayton, Gerwyn Price and Luke Humphrys set to compete for the title on May 28th at the O2 Arena.
The only thing that remains to be determined is whether Price or Humphries will secure the No. 3 spot and the chances of avoiding a semifinal showdown with Littler in the playoffs will be crucial.
Price will face Jan van Veen, while Humphries will face Michael van Gerwen. Littler will face Josh Locke and Clayton will face Stephen Bunting.
Who will win this year’s Premier League Darts? Luke Humphries will defend his title and the fight can be seen on Sky Sports every Thursday until May. Stream darts and other top sports now.
