ANZ Premier League Set To Change Darts In Oceania

After months of qualification and preparation the first instalment of the ANZ Premier League is nearing. The next eight weeks are set to be the biggest the sport of darts has ever had in Australia & New Zealand. The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) have set their sights on growing the sport in the Oceanic region. They have created a tournament in the image of the Premier League Darts, once described by the late commentator Dave Lanning as "darts own answer to rock & roll". It will see the same format of eight players, each night is a weekly knockout tournament. The players would love a nightly win but at the very winning their quarter-final will help them get the points they need for night. When two games on that night in Brisbane and the World Championship awaits. It begins on October 4th at Join Cain Arena, here are the eight players that will be competing in the first ANZ Premier League. The eight-man field were filled from three PDC affiliate tours. Simon Whitlock, the former tour-card holder was invited and the other seven spots were filled by the top three on the Dartsplayers Australia (DPA) tour, the top two on the newly formed Australian Darts Association (ADA) tour. The last two places were awarded to the man holding the top spot on the Dartsplayers New Zealand (DPNZ) tour and the winner of the top 16 qualifier.

The schedule for 2025 ANZ Premier League

Simon Whitlock - Invited qualifier

'The Wizard' will be the name that even non-darts fans will recognise out of the eight. Whitlock is one of the most iconic Australian sportspeople of the 21st century. His green and gold shirt and that iconic beard has made a recognisable player, topped by the fact that he is really good. A 2008 BDO & 2010 PDC World Championship losing finalist, the 2012 European Championship and alongside Damon Heta the winner of the 2022 PDC World Cup. He battled all through the second half of last year to retain his tour card, which he failed to do and was also unable to regain it at Q-School. While he bring experience he is not in his best form. On the World Series of Darts scene, he lost 6-1 to Josh Rock in Wollongong and 6-4 to Chris Dobey in Auckland. He did push a below average Littler 6-4 averaging 88.62. While Whitlock has been playing better opposition than other players of late, including at the Modus Super Series, he hasn't been used to winning recently.

Joe Comito - DPA Tour qualifier

'The Waterboy' has been the star on the DartsPlayers Australia tour for the last couple of years. Comito qualified for the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship and played in the first match of the tournament hitting it's first 180 too. He lost that match to Thibault Tricole. But he has been doing plenty of winning over the last year. Topping the DPA tour order of merit comfortably. He won two DPA tour finals and lost five but making those finals is what will get him back to Alexandra Palace. He has played and beaten a lot of the guys in this field in the recent future and having recent experience on the biggest stage in the sport puts him in good stead for this tournament.

James Bailey - DPA Tour qualifier

'The Bull' finished second on the DPA tour order of merit with the one title back in April. Bailey also played in the ADA events making the event 11 final on September 6th. He has played twice on the Alexandra Palace stage losing in the first round both times. A very steady player he has has claimed titles on the DPA circuit in the last couple of players. Those wins and finals has cemented his place among the best non tour-card holders in the region.

Brody Klinge - DPA Tour qualifier

Klinge has plenty of hype around him. He took out a brilliant 161 finish in Wollongong against Stephen Bunting but that was the only leg he managed. Nevertheless, Klinge's 95.10 average is still a strong mark. He won't have the big stage experience like the others but he has shown plenty of promise. The winner of six DPA titles and three ADA titles this year, including the last ADA event on 7th September, he has had among the most impressive seasons. He has a great chance to continue that form and announce himself to a wider audience.

Tim Pusey (left) and Raymond Smith (right) were the top two on the ADA order of merit

Raymond Smith - ADA Tour qualifier

'The Guru' has made it clear that he will turn out a spot at the PDC World Darts Championship to play at the WDF World Darts Championship at Lakeside. Nevertheless, Smith has been the best in-form player of the eight. He dominated the opening weekend of the ADA tour, winning all four events held. The weekend before the start of the Premier League, Smith makes a brilliant run to the final of the WDF World Cup Open Singles. Despite losing the final he showed his class against former PDC tour card holders in Andreas Harrysson and Boris Krcmar. Smith has to be one of the favourite after topping the ADA order of merit and is probably the best in-form player in this event.

Tim Pusey - ADA Tour qualifier

'The Magnet' has been the other being standout during the opening year of the ADA. Pusey on the opening weekend in Sandgate, he made three finals. He picked up one tournament victory during the second weekend in Elizabeth North and then won two events in Melton on the third weekend. With Smith set to decline his PDC World Championship spot, the Premier League will likely be Pusey's warm-up tournament. His great consistency during the ADA events puts him among the favourites.

Jonny Tata - DPNZ Tour qualifier

The last two players are from across the ditch. 'JT' has stormed home in the final few weekends of the DPNZ tour winning five of the last seven events, including the last three. Tata has found top-form at the right time winning the last two events of the year and hitting a nine-darter in the Event 12 final which he went on to win. At the Auckland World Series event he achieved the best three-dart average from any Oceanic players across the two Oceanic events with a 96.81 average in a 6-4 loss to Gerwyn Price. Pushing an in-form Price puts Tata firmly among the best in this group.

Ben Robb - DPNZ Top 16 playoff qualifier

The wildcard of the eight, 'Big Rig' was the last man to secure his spot winning a top 16 qualifier on the Monday before the start of the ANZ Premier League. Robb was on the wrong side of Tata's nine-darter but that run to the final was a sign of things to come. His victory to the qualifier completes the line-up. The most experienced player on the stage behind Whitlock, he has been to five World Championships but hasn't won a game. 2025 DPNZ tour was the first one to see Robb not win an event title since 2021, but he is still not be counted out.

Ben Robb was the last man to qualify for the 2025 ANZ Premier League

Darts in Australia and New Zealand has fallen behind the growth of the sport in North America and Asia. Those where regions that were behind Australia a decade ago. This is the big move by the PDC to unify the sport and give the second-tier players more practice on the big stages. The next two months are the most important in Australian darts since Whitlock burst onto the scene in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The best eight players in Oceania are set to duke it out over the next two months. The response from the public and where darts goes from here will be something to watch.