HUMPHRIES FEARS LITTLER RIVALRY IS BEING WATERED DOWN
15/02/2026 By Aaron Nijjar
LUKE HUMPHRIES fears his rivalry with Luke Littler is being “watered down” by frequent Premier League clashes.
‘Cool Hand’ faced Littler in Antwerp last week and slipped to a narrow 6-5 defeat after missing three match darts.
The lethal Lukes have gone head-to-head 28 times in the last two years, regularly meeting at the business end of tournaments.
But Humphries worries the crowded schedule and Premier League format are dulling the spark of their blockbuster battles.
He said: “I think it has been watered down a little bit. I think we have played each other 27 times in two years, which is a lot. It is a lot.
“Most of the time it is due to the fact that we have been meeting in the later rounds because we are the best players.
“The Premier League dilutes it a little bit more. When we play in the Premier League, people don’t really care as much.
“But when we play in a major final like the Matchplay, then it is more exciting because they are big tournaments. It is not just for a league or a nightly win.
“I think you are finding in lots of sports — look at [Jannik] Sinner and [Carlos] Alcaraz — they play each other a lot.
“It’s also because there are more tournaments as well.
“In the old days there were 10 or 12 tournaments, really. Now we play so much with the ProTour, Europeans, Premier League and majors.
“It is going to happen to everybody. It is just the way it is with the format. Maybe it will change in the future.”
World No.2 Humphries and Littler have faced off in SEVEN major finals since 2024, with Humphries winning three and Littler claiming four.
The Cheshire thrower sits sixth in the Premier League table despite boasting the highest running average of 101.31 in the competition.
Image by Taylor Lanning.
