Impassioned James Wade broke a habit of a lifetime as he backed up sparring partner Gary Anderson to demand more is made out of all-conquering Luke Humphries.
Wade and the Tartan Tornado famously don’t see eye to eye, the Englishman recently admitting they ‘don’t get on very well,’ in an understatement for the ages. But it’s clear one issue on which they are on the same wavelength is world No.1 Humphries.
While teenager Luke Littler continues to be darts‘ box office attraction, it’s Humphries who has dominated the last 12 months, winning last year’s Grand Prix, the Grand Slam, the Players Championships AND the World Championships at Alexandra Palace.
He’s on for yet another title and faces Michael Smith in the Grand Prix quarter-finals this evening. Speaking earlier this week, Anderson said it was a ‘load of b******’ that Humphries isn’t getting more credit. And it’s safe to say Wade agrees with that assessment – even going as far to rank Humphries ahead of three-time world champ Michael van Gerwen.
Speaking after his Grand Prix exit to Gerwyn Price, he said: “I believe the press should be building him up more because he’s bloody good. In any other sport in the world, we’d grab it, and we would be like, ‘Look at this guy, he’s amazing.’ But instead, we’re publicising other people that aren’t quite as amazing and it’s quite sad.
“I’m not someone that cares about darts, but the world champions of the last 10 to 15 years, can you tell me any of them that have progressed and dominated and won tournaments like him? I actually think he’s a better world champion than Michael (van Gerwen). I think he’s probably doing better things than Michael, in a short space of time as well.
“Michael is different gravy, but what Luke’s doing at the moment is magical, and we are not grabbing it.”