Ruthless Raymond wins second ANZ Premier League nightly title on the Gold Coast

Raymond Smith continues to be the man to beat in the inaugural ANZ Premier League.

Smith goes into finals night in Brisbane as the hot favourite to take the crown

Having already confirmed his place to Brisbane in the lead-up to the weekend, 'The Guru' showcased why he is the man to beat, mirroring his nightly win in Wellington just five weeks ago – now pocketing another $2,000 to add to his tally for his nightly win on the Gold Coast.

Raymond's run to his fourth final across the competition began with a dominant 5-1 victory over DPNZ representative in Jonny Tata, with Raymond averaging 90.81 – keeping his impressive perfect quarter-final victories across the competition intact. He was then next up against a crowd favourite in Tim Pusey, with Smith reigning supreme with a 5-2 win after being down 2-1 early in the fixture – winning the last four legs of the contest to win the contest over 'the magnet'.

To end the night, he was tested by a gallant Simon Whitlock, in what ended up being a thrilling battle up to a tense last-leg decider. With the stalwart of Aussie Darts waiting to check out 20, Smith showed no mercy, pinning 100 with his final dart, hitting D16 to claim his second nightly title at the Gold Coast Exhibition & Convention Centre.

Despite just losing in the final, 'The Wizard' also stands a good chance on taking the crown in Brisbane

"If I miss, I'm done," Smith noted post-game after winning Night Seven. "I was pretty pleased to hit that, especially after missing two match darts last week."

Smith's victories across the night cemented him first on the table on 22 points with a +25 leg difference, easily being the standout of the competition over the last two months. DPNZ star Jonny Tata features next best on the table with 13 points and a leg difference of +8 in the final standings.

The final standings of the table leading into finals night, this Saturday on November 22

With Tata, Whitlock, and Pusey all qualifying alongside Smith, Nissan Arena in Brisbane will be the place to be this Saturday night. Smith will travel to his hometown with eyes locked on the lifting up the trophy in the first edition of the ANZ Premier League, along with $30,000 in the bank. Additionally, the winner will be offered a golden ticket to Alexandra Palace for the World Championships, commencing in just under a month.

Episode 39 of The 9-Dart Podcast is LIVE now via YouTube!