Jonny Tata Makes Dream Start to ANZ Premier League Campaign with Melbourne Triumph
Jonny Tata Makes Dream Start to ANZ Premier League Campaign with Melbourne Triumph
Jonny Tata kicked off the 2025 Dabble Darts ANZ Premier League season in perfect fashion on Saturday night, claiming top honours on the opening night in Melbourne. The New Zealander produced a series of composed and clinical performances to defeat Raymond Smith 5–3 in the final at the John Cain Arena, delighting a lively crowd of more than 2,500 fans.
Just six days on from landing a nine-dart finish on the DartPlayers New Zealand circuit, Tata carried that confidence onto the big stage, topping the early league table with five points and securing the $2,000 winner’s cheque for Night One. The 33-year-old truck driver from Wellington looked at home under the lights, producing consistent scoring power and tidy finishing to go all the way.
In the final against Smith, Tata averaged 96.03 and sealed victory with a polished 86 checkout — a moment that capped off an excellent night’s work. The pair traded holds early on before Tata found an extra gear, capitalising on missed chances from the Australian to pull clear and close out the match 5–3.
Earlier in the evening, Tata made a strong start to his campaign with a dominant display in the quarter-finals, whitewashing James Bailey 5–0 with an 89.46 average to set the tone for the night. He followed that up with a narrow but impressive 5–4 win over Joe Comito in the semi-finals, averaging just over 90 and holding his nerve in a deciding leg to book his place in the showpiece.
For Smith, the final represented the end of a solid night’s work as well. He opened his campaign with a 5–3 victory over Tim Pusey, producing timely checkouts to keep his opponent at arm’s length. In the semi-finals, the Queenslander overcame hometown favourite Brody Klinge 5–2 to reach the final, silencing a vocal Melbourne crowd in the process.
Klinge, meanwhile, enjoyed one of the standout moments of the evening by producing the highest checkout of the night — a spectacular 164 finish to wrap up his first-round clash with New Zealand’s Ben Robb. That performance carried him into the last four, where Smith’s experience ultimately proved too strong.
It was a frustrating opening night for Australian legend Simon Whitlock, who fell at the first hurdle after a 5–2 defeat to Comito. Whitlock, a former World Cup winner and one of the most recognisable figures in the southern hemisphere darts scene, couldn’t find his rhythm in the early exchanges and was punished for missed doubles as Comito held firm.
Robb also endured a disappointing start, going down 5–2 to Klinge in a match where the Kiwi number one couldn’t recover after early missed opportunities.
Tata’s win sees him take an early lead in the Premier League table, with Smith sitting second thanks to his run to the final. Comito and Klinge also got off to encouraging starts by reaching the semi-finals, while Bailey, Pusey, Whitlock and Robb will be looking to bounce back quickly in the weeks ahead.
The eight-player league now moves on to the Newcastle Entertainment Centre next weekend for Night Two, where the matchups have already been confirmed. Tata will be aiming to maintain his early momentum when he takes on Tim Pusey in his opening fixture. Simon Whitlock faces a tricky test against Klinge as he looks to get his campaign back on track, while Comito meets Robb in what promises to be a closely contested battle. The night’s final fixture sees Smith take on Bailey, with both players hoping to build on their opening performances.
With plenty of weeks still to play, the Dabble Darts ANZ Premier League is already shaping up to be a thrilling season. Tata’s opening-night heroics have set the standard, but with experienced names and rising stars all chasing points, the race for the playoffs looks wide open.
Jonny Tata Makes Dream Start to ANZ Premier League Campaign with Melbourne Triumph
2025 Dabble Darts ANZ Premier League
Night One – Saturday October 4
John Cain Arena, Melbourne
Quarter-Finals
Jonny Tata 5-0 James Bailey
Joe Comito 5-4 Simon Whitlock
Raymond Smith 5-3 Tim Pusey
Brody Klinge 5-2 Ben Robb
Semi-Finals
Jonny Tata 5-4 Joe Comito
Raymond Smith 5-2 Brody Klinge
Final
Jonny Tata 5-3 Raymond Smith
Night Two – Saturday October 11
Newcastle Entertainment Centre
Quarter-Finals
Jonny Tata v Tim Pusey
Simon Whitlock v Brody Klinge
Joe Comito v Ben Robb
Raymond Smith v James Bailey
All matches best of nine legs
