'I see Littler and Humphries reaching the final': Wayne Mardle sees only one Premier League play-off outcome

Wayne Mardle sees one outcome in the Premier League Darts play-offs and that is a certain two leading lights reaching the final at The O2 next week.

We almost got a dress rehearsal this past week in Sheffield as Luke Littler edged Luke Humphries which featured a sublime 170 from 'The Nuke' as well as hilarity involving Humphries getting his maths wrong on the 120.

But even though Aspinall and Price are through, they will likely be on a collision course to be defeated by the two Luke's in the eyes of many who will be the two leading lights as they have been all season in the weekly roadshow.

Mardle said that it is now a burgeoning rivalry where neither wants to give an inch and the chapters of huge games will lend themselves to yet another episode he sees next week.

"He kind of said it was a warm-up which is fascinating in itself. I believe and I've listened to Phil Taylor talk about this and Michael (Van Gerwen) especially with Raymond van Barneveld. But every win over your rival means something. Because if you start to build up a head to head lead and you both know it, that's something. If you can make yourself feel better and them feel worse, that has to be a positive. It wasn't a great game, Luke said before we did the interview that it was rubbish. It was far from rubbish. By his standards it's all relative," said Mardle on Sky Sports.

"I believe everytime they play it's a big game. There will come a time when one gets the one up on the other. There may be a run of four, five, six wins and tell me it doesn't matter then."

"Over the longer format now, I see Luke and Luke reaching the final. Humphries looked a million dollars in the semi-final. Averaged 106 and it was like it was nothing. It was so simple. Luke Littler in his first game with the 114 made that look simple. if they both hit peak, it will be carnage. No offence to Gerwyn Price and Nathan Aspinall. They are just extraordinary over the longer format now."