JC- This is
the first of hopefully many posts by new writer George Lovatt, and he has
started his writing career by giving his take on the upcoming PDC World Darts
Championship.
With 2015
coming to a close, there is only one thing on everyone’s minds, Christmas. But
what would Christmas be without the darts? The PDC World Darts Championship
begins on the 17th December at the Alexandra Palace. Barry Hearn has turned
Darts from a Smokey pub sport into something as fundamental to Christmas as
tinsel and turkey. The question on everyone’s lips is who will take home the
Sid Waddell trophy for another year. This is my take on who could be in with a
chance:
Michael van
Gerwen: World Number 1
For years,
the Green Machine was a failed prodigy. A player who in his youth was billed as
a future World Champion, seem to slowly fall down the World Rankings until he
was just scraping into the Major events. This all changed in 2012, when MVG won
the World Grand Prix in Dublin despite the fact he was the bottom ranked player
in the tournament. Since then he hasn’t looked back, going on to win the
Premier League, World Matchplay and Grand Slam of Darts to name a few. His
crowning moment came in the 2014 World Championship when he beat Peter Wright
in the final, 7 sets to 4. After a disappointing defeat in the Semi-Finals of
last year’s competition to eventual winner Gary Anderson, Mighty Mike will be
keen to make amends. Van Gerwen, who is still only 26, has experience of
winning and losing at the Alexandra Palace which could prove invaluable. Ranked
Number 1 in the World, naturally he is the favourite, but he can be prone to
lapses in concentration and over-confidence as shown in his World Grand Prix
defeat this year to Robert Thornton. I’m predicting him to reach the final, but
just fall short of the title. Just.
Prediction:
Gary
Anderson: World Number 2
The Flying
Scotsman can be one of the most frustrating players on the PDC Circuit.
Sometimes, he looks like the greatest player ever, smashing the darts into the
treble 20 like he’s got the force. However on other occasions he plays like a
man who has never even held a dart, let alone thrown one. In recent years, he
has managed to iron out some of his inconsistencies, which is why he was able
to go on a tremendous run last year, going on to win the competition by beating
Phil Taylor 7-6. If he is able to play on top form this year, then few would
write him off, but if he has one bad game then the dream of winning back to
back World titles would be gone. His scoring has never been a cause for
concern, but he regularly lacks the composure to hit the doubles and actually
win the match. He’s World Number 2 so he is obviously a fine player, but I
think winning consecutive World Titles will just be too difficult a task.
Prediction:
Quarter-Finals
Phil Taylor:
World Number 3
Phil ‘The
Power’ Taylor is arguably the greatest sportsman of all time. A sixteen time
Champion of the World, it is hard to think of any player with such long-lasting
dominance, in any sport. Being 55, he is the senior citizen in a young mans’
game, but something tells me that Taylor has got one more World Championship
victory in him. However he hasn’t had the best year of his career, far from it,
he is down to World Number 3 and without a major tournament to his name; many
are saying that he won’t be able to stop the rot and that he will continue to
slip down the rankings like greats before him such as Bristow, Part and Dennis
Priestley. I reckon that Taylor will be extra motivated this year, as this
could be his last run as a real contender for the trophy. Perhaps Taylor can’t
keep up with big scorers such as Anderson and MVG, but his finishing is far
superior to other players on the circuit. Taylor says he is practising more
than ever so he’s not leaving anything to chance going into the tournament.
Maybe this prediction is more out of hope than stone cold facts, but I’m
backing Taylor to win number 17.
Prediction:
Winner
Peter
Wright: World Number 4
“Snakebite”
has become one of the most controversial, talked about and recognisable players
in darts due to his outlandish hairstyle and personality when on the oche.
Whilst he may face criticism for being a clown, this clown can play darts. He’d
been knocking around the circuit for a while when he reached the 2013 World
Championship Final and became an instant fan favourite. He always appears to be
in contention for the big tournaments but never seems to reach the next level
and win the major ranking events. This year, it is important that he doesn't
get carried away with entertaining the crowd, and focuses more on his darts.
Wright is a very good player, but I would be shocked to see him become a World
Champion.
Prediction:
Quarter-Finals
Adrian
Lewis: World Number 5
Perhaps Phil
Taylor’s greatest legacy is in his protégé, Adrian Lewis. Spotted by Taylor in
a pub in Stoke they soon began to train together and Taylor passed on to Lewis
everything he knew. By 2011 Adrian Lewis was World Champion and by 2012 Adrian
Lewis was a two time World Champion. His World Titles came earlier than most
pundits thought, leading to expectations of many years of dominance. Lewis
hasn't quite delivered on these expectations, only going onto win the European
Championship and UK Open since then. Lewis is now down to a relatively low rank
of World Number 5, compared to how much of a skilled player he is and has had a
fairly uninspiring year; but his experience at the Alexandra Palace could prove
crucial, especially as he is not one to go down without a fight.
Prediction:
Semi-Finals
James Wade:
World Number 6
During the
years 2007-11, James Wade was seen as the future of darts and a sure-fire
multiple World Champion. But since the Wade glory days the ‘Machine’ has
faltered with barely any notable silverware to his name except for the fairly
minor Unibet Masters tournament in 2014. It is no secret that Wade has had
mental health problems which explain his dip in form and we all hope that he
can fully recover from them and once again be a major tournament winner.
However, his recent troubles mean that I think Wade will struggle to have a big
impact on this year’s competition.
Prediction:
Quarter-Finals
Robert
Thornton: World Number 7
For many
years Thornton was a fairly anonymous player on the PDC Circuit, this was until
a shock victory in the 2012 UK Open Final against Phil Taylor. Since then
Thornton has continued to get to the later stages of the major tournaments and
has also played a role in the Premier League. Thornton added the World Grand
Prix to his Trophy Cabinet this year and I believe he has a good chance of
getting to the latter stages of the 2016 World Championships.
Prediction:
Semi-Finals
Michael
Smith: World Number 8
Bully boy’s
star continues to rise. A former World Youth Champion, it hasn’t taken him too
long to adjust to the main stage. He was thrust into the darting elite when he
shocked the Darts Universe beating Phil Taylor in 2nd Round of the 2014 World
Championship, when this is combined with his recent exploits in the Grand Slam,
making it all the way to the Semi-Finals , many can see how he is becoming a
force to be reckoned with. My only criticism of him is that many a time in long
distance matches, when he goes behind he just gives up and basically surrenders
the game, he doesn't have that fighters instinct like Taylor and Lewis, and
it’s that reason that means I can’t see him besting the 3rd round.
Prediction:
3rd Round
Simon
Whitlock: World Number 10
The man from
down under is a real fan favourite due to his long beard and quality walk-on
music but it’s not just his popularity that makes him a big name. He is himself
a very impressive player who reached the 2012 Premier League Darts Final and
won the European Championship. However a surprising defeat in the 1st Round of
last year’s World Championship meant he became the Darting equivalent of Rufus
Smalls (JC- See Mike Bassett: England Manager for reference). This year has
been very disappointing and I can’t see him improving his form by December.
Therefore I predict another early exit for the Wizard.
Prediction:
2nd Round
Kim
Huybrechts: World Number 12
Since I've
been following Darts, Kim Huybrechts has been making a steady rise up the
rankings. In 2014 he had his breakthrough year, not only carrying the Belgium
National team to the later stages of the World Cup, but also reaching the
Semi-Finals of the Grand Slam. He was rewarded with a place in the Premier
League a year later, but it proved as more of hindrance than a help, as he
finished bottom. Huybrechts has had a steady year but nothing spectacular;
therefore it is unlikely that the Hurricane will have a major impact on the
Alexandra Palace Stage this year.
Prediction:
3rd Round
Dave
Chisnall: World Number 15
Chizzy has
had arguably the finest year of his career in 2015. He was regularly part of
the top 4 throughout the Premier League, and was unlucky to get knocked out in
the Semi-Finals. Chizzy also hit a Nine-Darter during the Grand Slam in
Wolverhampton. He is a steady, down-to-Earth player who spent years having
little impact on the PDC Circuit, hence now, after working so hard, he deserves
all the plaudits he receives.
Prediction:
3rd Round
Stephen
Bunting: World Number 16
‘The Bullet’
has a major namesake on the BDO stage since he began his darting career in
2002. Following a win in the BDO World Championship, the Liverpudlian decided
to seek a new challenge and cross codes into the PDC. It appears when players
move to the PDC they either sink or swim; Bunting did the latter, having a very
successful début season, reaching the Semi-Final of the World Grand Prix and
moving himself further up the PDC Order of Merit. 2015 has been another solid
year for the Bullet and he has managed to consolidate his relatively high
ranking in the PDC World Rankings. Bunting should make it to the 3rd Round at
least, however, he is likely to have Michael van Gerwen in the last 16, and so
unless he can improve his ranking in time for the Worlds, he is almost certain
to come up against one of the big guns in the middle stages of the competition,
which would pose a serious threat of a piercing blow, to the Bullet.
Prediction:
3rd Round
Raymond van
Barneveld
We couldn't
have a darts post without mentioning ‘Barney’. The Dutchman has been a firm fan
favourite ever since he joined the PDC in 2006. RVB’s early years in the PDC
were the greatest of his career, as he won the World Championship in 2007 and
back-to-back UK Opens. However, Barney’s trophy cabinet started to dry up, with
a five year barren spell, many were doubting whether we would see the Dutchman
lift another piece of silverware on a PDC stage. Fortunately for the ‘Barney
Army’, van Barneveld went on a terrific run in the 2012 Grand Slam, going on to
win the tournament by beating fellow compatriot Michael van Gerwen in the
Final. A Premier League win followed suit two years later and with it the Dutchman was once again one of the big
names on the PDC Circuit. Sadly, Barney is hampered by illness due to his
Diabetes, which makes it much harder for him to play at his full capacity and
make it to all the venues for the smaller events such as Players Championship
Qualifiers. Due to his lack of involvement in the smaller events, his PDC
ranking has suffered, meaning he is now out of the top 16 in the World which
means he has to play better players in the earlier rounds. Very much a form
player, if Barney’s head is in the right place then he can dominate, but when
his confidence drops then he is unlikely to get very far in the competition.
Due to the fact that his likely to play Dave Chisnall in the last 32, it looks
like an early departure from the tournament is on the cards for van Barneveld.
Prediction:
2nd Round
No matter
whom the winner of this years’ PDC World Darts Championship is, the 2016
tournament will certainly be a memorable and exciting one. I think it will be
great to see if one of the young players such as Rowby-John, Keegan Brown or
Max Hopp can go far in the tournament. As always, there I’m sure there will be
an unknown foreign player who takes the world by storm, getting into the later
stages and upsetting the odds. You can see all the action on SKY’s dedicated
channel, Sky Sports Darts. I hope when all is said and done, we can all reflect
on what should be a thrilling spectacle.
Special
thanks to chief Writer and Editor James Coston, for giving me the opportunity
to write this article.
JC- I'd like to extend my own thanks to George for taking the time to write this excellent piece, and I look forward to working with him in the future.
Thanks for reading,
James
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