Luke Humphries looks for a Leeds hat-trick and keeps his title defence alive
Luke Humphries looks for a Leeds hat-trick and keeps his title defence alive
Luke Humphries will return to familiar surroundings on Thursday night as he looks to reignite his BetMGM Premier League campaign in Leeds.
The defending champion heads into Night 14 at the First Direct Arena knowing victory is vital if he is to keep his Play-Off hopes alive. Humphries faces Josh Rock in the quarter-finals, with the world number two currently sitting sixth in the table and two points adrift of Michael van Gerwen in fourth.
Despite reaching last week’s final in Aberdeen and defeating Van Gerwen in a crucial quarter-final clash, Humphries remains one of only three players yet to claim a nightly win this season.
The 31-year-old has fond memories of Leeds though, having lifted the nightly title at the venue in both 2024 and 2025.
“It’s always something that I look forward to at the start of the season,” said Humphries.
“It’s my favourite night of the year in the Premier League and where I get the best support.
“The good thing for me is I need these points more than ever. The last two years I didn’t really need them. It might make me up for it even more than I usually am.
“It was a massive game against Michael last week. I’ve put myself right back in the game.”
League leader Luke Littler has already secured his place at Finals Night after another dominant campaign which has included five nightly victories.
The reigning World Champion reclaimed top spot in Aberdeen last week and now sits on 34 points, two ahead of Jonny Clayton, as he chases a third consecutive season finishing top of the table.
Littler takes on Van Gerwen in Thursday’s second quarter-final, with the Dutchman under mounting pressure to protect his top-four position heading into the closing weeks of the league phase.
“Obviously I always want to be top of the table,” said Littler.
“I know Jonny says he wants to get to The O2 and we’ve both qualified, so now I want to chase and hopefully break my own records.
“I can definitely say I’m relaxed now. I saw before play that me and Jonny had the Q on the table so I knew I was going back to The O2 for the third consecutive year.
“Now I can go chasing my records. Three nights left, I’ll try and grab as many nightly wins as I can.”
Elsewhere, Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price meet in an all-Welsh clash, with Price looking to strengthen his grip on third place.
Gian van Veen also remains firmly in contention for a Play-Off debut and faces Stephen Bunting in the evening’s final quarter-final. The Dutchman is level on points with Humphries and only two points behind Van Gerwen heading into a pivotal night in Leeds.
Luke Humphries looks for a Leeds hat-trick and keeps his title defence alive
2026 BetMGM Premier League
Night Fourteen – First Direct Bank Arena
Thursday May 7
Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Price v Jonny Clayton
Luke Littler v Michael van Gerwen
Josh Rock v Luke Humphries
Gian van Veen v Stephen Bunting
Semi-Finals
Price/Clayton v Littler/Van Gerwen
Rock/Humphries v Van Veen/Bunting
Final
v
All matches best of 11 legs
The top four players will advance to Finals Night at The O2 in London on Thursday, May 28. Each night, ranking points will be given out, with five going to the champion, three to the runner-up, and two to the semi-finalists.
