For seasoned darts professional James Wade, the dawn of a new year has brought not celebration, but an emotional reckoning. The 42-year-old Englishman — affectionately known in the sport as “The Machine” — has admitted he’s been left feeling adrift and disheartened after being passed over for selection in the 2026 Premier League Darts lineup, a competition that stands as one of the sport’s most prestigious and lucrative annual events.
Wade has long been one of darts’ most consistent performers. Throughout the 2025 season, he enjoyed solid results: he reached two major finals, including those of the UK Open and the World Matchplay, and captured a Pro Tour title along the way — accomplishments that most observers believed would put him in serious contention for a Premier League spot. But despite that impressive body of work, he wasn’t among the eight players named for the upcoming tournament, which gets underway on February 5 in Newcastle and runs weekly until late May.
In a candid reflection on his career and recent performances, Wade didn’t mince words about the sting of the decision. “I’m struggling with the Premier League selection process. I feel lost, honestly,” he confessed, admitting that missing out has hit him harder than he expected. For a competitor who has invested years building his reputation at the highest levels of the game, the omission has felt like “a gut punch,” he said — a phrase that summed up his frustration and sense of bewilderment.
One of the heartaches for Wade is the sense that the selection criteria may place disproportionate weight on World Championship performance, rather than consistent year-round excellence. He conceded his campaign ended prematurely with a second-round defeat at the hands of Ricky Evans, a loss he described as disappointing but also memorable, with some fans calling it “the game of the tournament.” “Still, I would have preferred to bow out in glory rather than how it happened,” Wade wrote, acknowledging Evans’ skill while lamenting his own exit.
But for Wade, that World Championship stumble appears to have overshadowed a year full of strong darts. “I mean, I reached the finals of serious events like the UK Open and the World Matchplay, which are probably only eclipsed by the World Championship. I thought that should be enough,” he said, going on to note how consistently he’d reached quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals throughout the season.
That consistency, he argued, deserved recognition. “Besides Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, I believe I’ve been one of the most consistent players throughout the season,” he wrote, specifically referencing the two players who are widely regarded among the current elite — and who did make the Premier League cut. 18-year-old Luke Littler, fresh off a stellar campaign that saw him dominate much of professional darts and earn widespread praise, is among those competing. Equally, Luke Humphries and other marquee names like Michael van Gerwen, Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting and Josh Rock were chosen as part of the eight-man 2026 roster.
Rather than criticizing his fellow competitors, Wade was thoughtful and fair in his comments, choosing to highlight the broader issue he perceives in how selections are made. “The PDC seems to focus solely on the World Championship and overlooks the previous eleven months,” he wrote, framing his disappointment in terms of a wider debate about how to balance form across a calendar year with performance on the sport’s biggest single stage.
Despite the emotional blow, Wade wasn’t ready to concede defeat. He asserted that he still feels “ready to compete again” and vowed to channel his disappointment into motivation for the year ahead. “It feels like a gut punch. Nonetheless, I’m determined to get through it,” he said — words that underline both the personal toll of the snub and his resolve to bounce back stronger in 2026.
For fans of the sport, Wade’s candid reaction adds a compelling subplot to the build-up of the Premier League season: a reminder that even the most experienced competitors can struggle with the emotional ups and downs of elite competition, and that the journey of professional darts is as much psychological as it is physical or technical.
In the coming months, all eyes will be on the Premier League circuit — and on James Wade’s response outside it. He may not be throwing nightly in the league, but his passion for the game and hunger for redemption are sure to keep him firmly in the conversation as the season progresses.
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