You can't blame the media for focusing on the talented youngsters Luke Littler and Gian van Veen, but Wessel Nijman has room to grow and the hope is that he can kick on from that success last weekend.
If he can, perhaps Nijman will be a debutant in the Premier League next season.
He won't be playing this Thursday in Dublin when Night 7 of the Premier League begins and we are almost at the halfway mark of the tournament with the fight for the top four places heating up.
Another Night win was secured by Jonny Clayton last week and you have to believe that the Welshman is well on his way to locking up one of the top four places having opened up an 8 point lead over second placed Luke Littler. Both players skipped the tournament in Germany with Littler long making it clear he does not like playing in that country after issues with the crowd, while Clayton was dealing with a foot issue last Thursday and needed some rest, rather than travelling to the European Tour 2 event.
Luke Littler is facing Stephen Bunting on Night 7 and the latter will understand why the World Number 1 skipped the event last week after having his match ruined by whistling.
Luke Humphries also missed European Tour 2 and he has a rematch of the Night 6 Final when facing Jonny Clayton in the last of the Quarter Finals.
Just four points separate Luke Littler in 2nd place and Stephen Bunting in 7th and so there is still all to play for in the tournament, while Josh Rock will be hoping fans have travelled from Northern Ireland to Dublin to support his bid for a maiden Premier League win.
It was a torrid weekend for the Darts Picks, but there is an opportunity to bounce back over the next few days with Night 7 and Night 8 of the Premier League sandwiching the European Tour 3 event in Belgium. That event begins on Friday and is played through Sunday, but the concentration for now is on Night 7 of this tournament in Dublin where the top names face off again.
Gian van Veen has been a late withdrawal as he suffers from kidney stones and that is a major concern for the young player, but has perhaps been a factor in his recent downturn in form.
After his own recent struggles with his health, the two points without playing a match will be a boost for Michael van Gerwen who will have moved back into the top four before the start of play in Dublin on Night 7 of the Premier League.
Luke Littler to win & most 180s v Stephen Bunting: It has to be pretty funny to think that there have been some questions about Luke Littler's early motivations in the Premier League, yet he has cruised into second place in the standings.
That just reminds everyone of the supreme talent of the teenager and Littler continues to be the player to beat in every tournament he enters.
He didn't enter European Tour 2 last weekend and having a bit of time off may have done Luke Littler some good as he prepares to return to action in Dublin. The crowd are likely going to get on his back with Stephen Bunting likely to be a more popular figure, but that has rarely prevented Littler from playing however he feels like and he should have too much for this opponent.
Whistling from the crowds has become a far too common event at the darts over the last twelve months and Bunting was on the wrong side of that in Germany.
This should be played in a better atmosphere for the World Number 9, but Stephen Bunting has suffered four early exits in six Premier League Nights and he may not be able to match the heavy, consistent scoring power of Luke Littler in this race to six Legs.
Gerwyn Price to win & most 180s v Josh Rock: Both of these players were beaten pretty comfortably by Wessel Nijman at the European Tour 2 event last weekend, but Gerwyn Price's defeat was in the Final of that event in Germany.
Josh Rock will have taken confidence from another decent run outside of the Premier League, but he remains without a win in this tournament and the pressure continues to build.
He has admitted that he is perhaps overthinking on a Thursday evening with performances outside of the Premier League remaining steady, but that is always the challenge for debutants in this weekly tournament.
Over the course of the season, Josh Rock can match the maximum hitting of Gerwyn Price, but the numbers within this Premier League have been pretty different. In this tournament alone, the Welshman is hitting those big shots with a touch more regularity and that makes the price on him completing the double in this Quarter Final look pretty appealing.
Luke Humphries to win & most 180s v Jonny Clayton: Who would have thunk that Jonny Clayton would be the first to reach two Nightly wins in the Premier League and have a huge lead at the top of the table as we approach the midway point of the competition.
He was favourite to finish bottom of the standings when the tournament kicked off, but Clayton was telling anyone that was prepared to listen how much he enjoys the Premier League.
A former Winner, Jonny Clayton is the only player who has avoided a Quarter Final defeat so far.
That could change this week as we get a repeat of the Night 6 Final when Luke Humphries opposes Clayton and the World Number 2 has to be wondering when things are going to finally fully click for him.
Luke Humphries has some big wins this season, but he has faltered at key times in tournaments and that has prevented him from picking up more titles and especially more points in the Premier League. There has been nothing wrong with the averages and the scoring, but missing key doubles at big moments have proven to be costly, although you have to fully believe Humphries will win many more matches than he loses on current form.
He has lost twice to Jonny Clayton in the Premier League, which makes it three defeats in a row to this opponent and so there is a mental obstacle to overcome, but Luke Humphries will feel his doubling has been the reason he has fallen in both Premier League contests this season.
Even a slight improvement there could turn the tables and it should be noted that Luke Humphries has hit more maximums than Jonny Clayton in both Premier League matches against one another.
MY PICKS: Luke Littler to Win & Most 180s @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Gerwyn Price to Win & Most 180s @ 3.25 Sky Bet (1 Unit)
Luke Humphries to Win & Most 180s @ 2.40 Bet365 (1 Unit)
Darts 2026: 31-47, - 9.24 Units (75 Units Staked, - 12.32% Yield)
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