The wait is over... 🎯

The World Matchplay is finally here, and I've taken a deep dive into every quarter of the draw, looking at the standout ties, potential upsets and who I think will go all the way.

Who have you got lifting the trophy?

My full preview piece👇

https://samhillsportsjourno.wixsite.com/shsportsjournalism/post/2026-world-matchplay-preview-quarter-by-quarter-analysis-predictions

Away from the obvious Littler/Humphries title talk, Nijman, Woodhouse and Ratajski feel like three of the more interesting danger names going into the Matchplay.

Nijman probably isn’t a dark horse anymore given the year he’s having, but the big TV run is still the question. Woodhouse is in the form of his life, and Ratajski’s Blackpool case looks stronger again after his European Darts Open title.

That was the focus of our latest DartsNews Podcast piece: not necessarily outright winner picks, but those under-the-radar players who could easily act as spoilers en route to the latter stages.

Who’s your dark horse? Any of the three we highlighted, or do you see someone else emerging from the chasing pack?

Hi everyone,

Enjoy playing darts and am looking for a casual league to join with hopes of meeting weekly. Is this something in the Arlington area around courthouse or Clarendon

Anyone have any good sites when you can watch PDC darts and/or cricket matches, preferably with the option to watch replays as well.

During our DartsNews Podcast World Matchplay special, one of the bigger themes around this year’s Blackpool field was the number of established Matchplay names missing from the 2026 lineup.

Peter Wright, Michael Smith and Dimitri Van den Bergh are the headline absentees, with Daryl Gurney and Raymond van Barneveld also missing out.

Interested how others see it: are these just one-year qualification misses, or is there a real chance some of those names have already played their last World Matchplay game at the Winter Gardens?