Stephen Bunting Tipped To Miss Out on Premier League After WDC Disappointment
He may be one of the most popular players on the circuit but Stephen Bunting should be dropped from the upcoming Premier League line-up, according to a number of darts pundits.
We will find out who will feature in the 2026 Premier League Darts on the afternoon of January 5, with a handful of wildcards in contention.
For those unaware, the four highest-ranked players on the recently updated Professional Darts Corporation's Order of Merit will automatically qualify for selection, while the remaining four spots will be invitations from the PDC.
Ahead of Monday's announcement, which will be broadcast on Sky Sports at around 3:30pm, reigning world champion Luke Littler will top the billing alongside Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen and Michael van Gerwen.
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Meanwhile, a handful of wildcards have a chance of making the line-up, including Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price, Nathan Aspinall, Rob Cross, Josh Rock, James Wade and Danny Noppert, not to mention World Championship semi-finalist Ryan Searle.
So, what about Stephen Bunting? The popular Liverpudlian, affectionately known as the "People's Champion", is currently ranked seventh in the PDC Order of Merit.
He reached the quarter-finals of the Masters and Matchplay last year but his overall performance in the 2025 Premier League left much to be desired as he failed to record a single point in the opening eight weeks.
After suffering a third-round exit at the 2026 World Championship, Bunting has been tipped to miss out on the upcoming Premier League line-up by several pundits, including former BDO World Championship semi-finalist Chris Mason.
“I think they will put Bunting in no matter what. Do I think he should be in? No," Mason told talkSPORT.
"Sometimes you just have to hold your hands up, and last year wasn’t a good look for him. I think it would do him good to have a break for a year."
Mason added: “Bunting did all his good work at the start of the year, but it was slightly undone with the Premier League. But in his last five TV tournaments, he has not been good. I think that’s why he maybe will get left out.”
Paul Nicholson, who won the Players' Championship in 2010, agreed that Bunting should be left out on this occasion.
“As much as Stephen Bunting has had his best within the PDC, we are looking at what you shouldn’t do," he said.
“By the time we got to the end of the season, he was putting everything into his darts. He wasn’t able to play on autopilot anymore because he didn’t have any petrol left.
“If you’re in the Premier League, you have to look for someone who will last the course and be able to compete with the best players in the world for four months.
“But also, someone who will be able to manage the schedule based on their family situation and what they need in their life.”
Darts pundit Chris Murphy believes last year's Premier League results will come into play.
"I think last year’s Premier League campaign will come into it, and it was not good for Stephen Bunting. I think replacing him with someone else would give them a chance to improve," he said.
“I also think the way things have gone in this tournament haven’t worked in his favour. Not just the shock defeat, but some of the stuff around it. He has spoken out about the abhorrent abuse to him and his son, and obviously, we are all against that.
“I also think it might make the PDC think, ‘You know what, give him a year off and take him out of the limelight.'”
Topics: Darts, World Darts Championship
Jack Kenmare