Is Gerwyn Price’s selection in the Premier League justified with his stage drama?

National World - LocalTV

Gerwyn Price’s selection for the 2025 Premier League of Darts is sure to spark plenty of conversation.  The Welshman’s consistent performances and big-stage presence have made him one of the sport’s standout names. As a former world champion, Price thrives under pressure, but can he translate that into dominance in this year’s highly competitive Premier League lineup?

Transcript

00:00Well, Charles, of course, we've had the Darts World Championship over the last month or

00:06so. Now that's finished, Lute Littler, of course, fantastically winning that. The Premier

00:10League is one of the next big things to come along in the Darts calendar. Of course, every

00:16week or every couple of weeks, they have the night on a Thursday night. Now, one controversial

00:21perhaps pick for the Premier League, it is an invitational tournament, is that of Gerwyn

00:25Price being selected over Johnny Clayton. And that's an interesting one because, of

00:30course, Johnny Clayton is ranked higher in the PDC Merits Order, Order of Merit, than

00:36Price, his fellow Welshman. And yet, Price brings that sort of X factor, doesn't he?

00:41You saw that at the World Championships against Chris Dobie. Yes, he lost that game, but it

00:45was just the sort of the way he was working the crowd and just the whole sort of attitude

00:50he brings. And that's, it's great for the sport, but you do also feel quite sorry for

00:55Johnny Clayton because he's playing better, he's ranked higher than Gerwyn Price, and

00:58yet he's been snubbed in this invitational tournament. And so, from your perspective,

01:03is it the right thing to do for the PDC or have they just gone for the entertainment

01:08factor over the actual sporting merit?

01:11Yeah, obviously, it's certainly a debate. I think the way, as you mentioned, the way

01:17the PDC avoid any firm sort of standings, firm debates, is the fact that it is an invitational

01:23tournament. You know, then you can come back with the argument and say the money that's

01:27actually involved in the Premier League with the sponsorship changing and, you know, constantly

01:33it's 17 weeks of darts, darts, darts, and it doesn't really stop the views, the eyes

01:38on the sport. Obviously, you mentioned the rise of Luke Littler there, but, you know,

01:42the Welsh sort of scene has been massive since Gerwyn Price managed to win the World Darts

01:47Championship a few years ago. He's been the face of Welsh darts. And then, obviously,

01:53they won the World Cup as well as a pair. Jonny Clayton has been a really humble, great

01:58guy to speak to. And he is fantastic when he's on his form. I mean, 2024 for both players

02:04was a bit hit and miss at times. But as you mentioned there, Gerwyn Price slipped right

02:09down the rankings from the last Premier League. He's all the way down in ninth now, you know,

02:15albeit the race is quite close. But Jonny Clayton is in seventh and he will feel hard

02:19done by him. I mean, Jonny Clayton's a fantastic player when he's at his very best. There's

02:24only been two players selected in the Premier League consecutively since 2018 and that is

02:31Michael Van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price. Now, that is a huge feather in Price's cap. Obviously,

02:37fans love to see him. Fans love to boo him as well. Fans love to see his reactions on

02:42the stage. I mean, he's a winner as well. If he comes off and he's lost, he will, you

02:47know, head down straight away, straight out the arena and leave very swiftly. So, you

02:52know, he brings such an X factor to the game and that's not going to be missed in 2025.

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