Exclusive: Peter Wright admires Luke Littler but wonders if he will be around for long haul

Peter Wright is a flamboyant on-stage character, a champion darts player

His designer costumes sport so many colours he could embarrass a paintbox; he wears a mohawk hair-style only cult bands such as a Flux of Pink Indians or Specimen or The Clash - at one point - could get away with.

And yet, these are only some ( of the things that add to the specifics of Wright, that surround his game and less than orthodox tempo.

Consider this: All the other darts players stand on the oche and throw across the gap at a stationary board, a three-peat with the three darts.

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The effect is akin to three similar photographs of a fixed bridge (say the arc of the Ha'penny Bridge in Dublin), the arc never varies.

However Wright's riot of colour, sometimes switching darts mid-game, muttering, his shift and delay ahead of throwing his third dart makes the stage, static for every other player, rotate about him.

If you haven't noticed this, maybe television's flat screen is only capturing some of the kaleidoscopic effect. His is a three-shot opera, spectacular in its raucous, live, and often frenzied habitat.

And it's because of this Wright is the subject of more complaints and moaning about his on-stage behaviour/persona than any other top-rated player - Adrian Lewis and Michael van Gerwen have, for instance, been in forceful arguments in the past with him.

Rejoicing in the nickname 'Snakebite', which doesn't emanate from the alcoholic lager-cider drink but his favourite phrase 'I bite back', Wright wouldn't have it any other way.

It is a big darts week with the Boylesports World Grand Prix (Oct 7-13) live and dangerous in Leicester and being televised all week.

Darts biggest stars work this part of the season around this event and the betting reflects the who's-who of the sport with the sponsors showing Luke Littler (100/30), Luke Humphries (7/2), Michael van Gerwen (5/1) with Gerwyn Price, Gary Anderson (12/1) and Michael Smith (16/1).

Wright's form has been building but it's been a quiet 12 months from him and he opens among the next-in-the-betting cadre, along with Rob Cross, Ross Smith and Dave Chisnall, at 25/1.

But then those who aim to have a punt on Wright will tell you he has a rhythm, that is one year superb with one year sort of coasting, one year superb followed by one year sorta laid back...

The winning pattern backing this up reads World Grand Prix winner 2018, World Championship winner 2020, 2022 - he is aiming to add 2024 to this list.

"Yeah, hopefully. I'm looking forward to the rest of the year, form has not been great but on a practice board it's been really good so I've been practicing hard for the last few months. It is finally coming good, I'm looking forward to it."

As mentioned, it is a top class field and with a bright, shiny favourite in teenage sensation Luke Littler, current Premier League Darts and World Series of Darts Finals champion.

Luke Littler
(Image: ©INPHO/Tom Maher)

A 17 year-old who has prompted a surge in the interest in darts but there are those waiting for him to finish out a big standalone tournament with a win before being fully convinced.

Littler was runner-up in the 2024 World Championship, last 32 in the 2024 World Matchplay, last 32 in the 2024 World Grand Prix, last eight in 2024 English Open...

Says Wright: "He has been great for darts, brought media and TV and everything else to our game to lift it another level.

"But, you know, the playing level has always been there as in players like Michael Van Gerwen and Luke Humphreys, myself, Gary Anderson, Adrian Lewis and Barney (Raymond van Barneveld), all them guys, they could play to a very high level.

"I know it's great, but how long will his form carry on? I don't know but I do think there's not a lot that can go wrong with it, to be honest, because it's a really strong, solid throw.

"I think Luke will be around as long as he wants to be around so it's interesting, sorta depends if you get bored or not so it's up to him.

"For instance, I know he could obviously win so many titles and go right to the age of 21 and then want to go and do another sport, want to go into snooker or something, or go into anything else."

It is a remarkable observation but, remember, one that comes from a family man. His wife Joanne is his Sports Manager, hairdresser and costume designer, daughter Naomi also helps out with designs and ideas.

And as Wright points out, the opposition hasn't simply gone away in the face of the 'Littler Effect', there are lots of proven winners in this week's field.

Luke Humphries, 2023 BoyleSports World Grand Prix Champion
(Image: PDC)

"We've got Luke Humphreys who won it last year - I let him off, I created a monster! He's been winning all the titles, well, all the majors so he's the man to beat and he'll be wanting to win his title back after that and it is up to us to try and stop him.

Obviously Michael van Gerwen has won it so many times, he'd be wanting to win it again. It makes for a great tournament, it's going to be some super darts then and I think there'll be a few nine darts finishes as well because so many players are in such form.

"Just for instance, in the Europeans recently there were three nine-darts in that tournament that weekend so I think those brilliant finishes will be happening on the go right from the start."

That's a start that sees Wright open against James Wade in the second set of first round (best of three sets) games on Tuesday, the winner of the match meeting the winner of Gerwyn Price and Danny Noppert in the Last 16 (best of five sets) on Thursday.

If this is to be Wright's time, he promises he will not be stinting on his showmanship or, as importantly, the parts of it that are central to his game such as his view of the essential tool of the trade - the dart.

"I like changing them to keep it interesting, otherwise you get too lazy and you expect the dart to work.

"I think it's a combination of things, mood maybe, lighting and sometimes it's due to stage atmospheres because of the crowd and the heat or if it's cold it makes the dart fly slightly different as well as my own mental self.

"Sometimes I might decide I want to use a heavier or a lighter dart, not to just take the ones I am using for granted. If you pick up another dart, you take that extra milli-second just to aim, that helps me that way.

This is odd and out of step with the sport's perceived norm.

Think back to the idea his peer group are trying to throw the exact same way every time while, let's face it, you wouldn't expect Rory McIlroy or Shane Lowry to use a variety of different golf clubs from week to week!

"Why not?" grins the mischievous Wright, "make it interesting wouldn't it?"

**Early Payout is available on every match at the BoyleSports World Grand Prix, which starts on Monday 7th October at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena.

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