James Wade Calls Out PDC After Premier League Snub and Singles Out Two Players
James Wade has spoken out after being left out of the 2026 Premier League Darts line-up, voicing his frustration with the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and questioning the selection process following what he believes was a strong year on tour.
The 42-year-old enjoyed a productive 2025 campaign, reaching the finals of both the UK Open and the World Matchplay, two of the sport’s biggest ranking majors. Despite those performances, Wade was overlooked when the eight-player Premier League field was confirmed earlier this week.
The PDC opted for Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen as automatic qualifiers via the Order of Merit, with Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting and Josh Rock receiving wildcard invitations.
Wade, a former Premier League champion, admits the decision has been difficult to accept — particularly given what he sees as an overreliance on World Championship results when deciding the final line-up.
Speaking candidly, Wade suggested the PDC had ignored the broader body of work across the season. He also singled out Stephen Bunting and Josh Rock when discussing the wildcard selections, stopping short of personal criticism but making it clear he felt his consistency stacked up favourably.
“I don’t want to take anything away from anyone who’s been picked,” Wade explained. “But when you look at the last 11 months as a whole, I genuinely believe my results deserved more consideration. Finals in the UK Open and World Matchplay don’t just happen by accident.”
Wade believes his early exit at the World Darts Championship ultimately counted against him — a pattern he feels has become increasingly common in Premier League selections.
“The World Championship seems to outweigh everything else,” he added. “It feels like what you do at Ally Pally can cancel out an entire year, and that’s hard to take when you’ve been consistent on the big stages.”
Despite the disappointment, Wade insists he is not finished and remains determined to respond on the oche rather than dwell on the snub.
“It hurts — there’s no point pretending otherwise,” he said. “But I’ll regroup, keep working and make sure I’m impossible to ignore next time.”
Wade suffered a surprise second-round exit at the recent World Championship, losing to Ricky Evans, but his overall form throughout the season has kept him firmly among the elite.
With the Premier League getting underway in Newcastle next month, Wade will now turn his attention to the ProTour and major ranking events, aiming to force his way back into contention — and make his feelings known in the only way darts truly respects: results.
