MARDLE SUGGESTS SPAT BEHIND LITTLER SLUMP
10/04/2026 By Aaron Nijjar
WAYNE MARDLE believes Luke Littler’s lowest TV average stemmed from a “knock-on” effect of his clash with Gian van Veen.
‘The Nuke’ failed to hit a single maximum and averaged just 83.94 as Stephen Bunting cruised to a 6-4 quarter-final victory on Night 10 of the Premier League.
World No.7 Bunting hit just six of his 21 darts at double as he was handed the win in Brighton.
Littler was heavily booed in the Brighton Centre arena and was nowhere near his usual standard.
Former pro Mardle reckons the teen sensation was on edge after his spat last week against Van Veen in Manchester.
He said: “I’m assuming tonight was a reaction to last week, although I don’t know.
“Littler looked quite flat, there were points where he was lobbing the darts, not petulantly but not with directness he normally throws.
“It would be more of a coincidence if we said it had nothing to do with last week, it was a knock-on from that. I thought he was going to be OK but he wasn’t.
“He’s going to have to get back on the horse soon.”
Jonny Clayton moved three points above the Warrington whizkid in the table as he produced a remarkable comeback to beat Michael van Gerwen in the final.
The Welsh thrower revealed that Littler and Van Veen practiced in different rooms at the venue.
He added: “They’re always in separate practice rooms, myself, Mike (Van Gerwen) and Luke Humphries were in one and usually Gian comes into that.
“I don’t think there’s anything of it, it’s just the way it happens. Gian was in with us and Luke (Littler) was in the other one. There’s nothing in that at all.”
Clayton has now claimed three nightly wins and is closing in on a Play-Off spot at the O2.
Image by Taylor Lanning.
