Australian icon Simon Whitlock will begin his defence of the Dabble Darts ANZ Premier League against Joe Comito when the 2026 season kicks off in Canberra on Saturday. Eight stars from Australia and New Zealand will compete across the next six weekends in the second staging of the ANZ Premier League, televised live on Foxtel […]
Australian icon Simon Whitlock will begin his defence of the Dabble Darts ANZ Premier League against Joe Comito when the 2026 season kicks off in Canberra on Saturday.
Eight stars from Australia and New Zealand will compete across the next six weekends in the second staging of the ANZ Premier League, televised live on Foxtel & Kayo Sports in Australia, through Sky in New Zealand and globally on PDCTV.
Each of the five league nights will feature quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final – before the top four players from the final league table progress to Finals Night in Brisbane on October 31.
The eventual champion will secure qualification for the 2026/27 Paddy Power World Darts Championship and November’s Grand Slam of Darts, with a top prize of $30,000 also on offer.
The opening night’s action will see reigning champion Whitlock – also a former World Cup winner – take on Perth’s Comito, who dumped out Niko Springer at last year’s World Darts Championship.
However, Saturday’s standout clash pits last year’s runner-up Raymond Smith against Australian Darts Masters runner-up Brody Klinge, who finished top of this year’s ADA Tour rankings following a season-long battle between the duo.
New Zealand’s World Cup duo Jonny Tata and Ben Robb will also go head-to-head, as Tim Pusey and Trans-Tasman Championship winner Mal Cuming collide in the tournament’s curtain-raiser.
Following Saturday’s opening night at the AIS Arena in Canberra, the action continues in Adelaide, Melbourne, Auckland and Newcastle – which represents the final night of league phase action.
This year’s showpiece then reaches a dramatic climax at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, with a coveted spot at Alexandra Palace on the line for the remaining four contenders.
Tickets for the opening night of the Dabble Darts ANZ Premier League at Canberra’s AIS Arena on September 26 are still available at ticketek.com.
2026 Dabble Darts ANZ Premier League
Night One
Saturday September 26, AIS Arena, Canberra
Quarter-Finals
Tim Pusey v Mal Cuming
Raymond Smith v Brody Klinge
Simon Whitlock v Joe Comito
Jonny Tata v Ben Robb
Semi-Finals
Pusey/Cuming v Smith/Klinge
Whitlock/Comito v Tata/Robb
Final
v
Night Two
Saturday October 3, Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Quarter-Finals
Raymond Smith v Ben Robb
Jonny Tata v Brody Klinge
Tim Pusey v Joe Comito
Simon Whitlock v Mal Cuming
Semi-Finals
Smith/Robb v Tata/Klinge
Pusey/Comito v Whitlock/Cuming
Final
v
Night Three
Saturday October 10, Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne
Quarter-Finals
Simon Whitlock v Brody Klinge
Jonny Tata v Mal Cuming
Tim Pusey v Ben Robb
Raymond Smith v Joe Comito
Semi-Finals
Whitlock/Klinge v Tata/Cuming
Pusey/Robb v Smith/Comito
Final
v
Night Four
Saturday October 16, SkyCity, Auckland
Quarter-Finals
Jonny Tata v Joe Comito
Raymond Smith v Mal Cuming
Simon Whitlock v Ben Robb
Tim Pusey v Brody Klinge
Semi-Finals
Tata/Comito v Smith/Cuming
Whitlock/Robb v Pusey/Klinge
Final
v
Night Five
October 24, Newcastle Entertainment Centre
Fixtures based on League Table following Night Four
Quarter-Finals
1v8
4v5
2v7
3v6
Semi-Finals
1/8 v 4/5
2/7 v 3/6
Final
v
Finals Night
Saturday October 31, Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Semi-Finals
Final
Format
Each of Nights 1–5 shall be played as a standalone eight-player knockout event with quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final.
All seven matches on each of these Nights will be played over the best of 9 legs.
The fixtures for Nights 1-4 will be pre-determined based on a random draw, with Night 5 being based on the league table following Night 4, with the bracket being 1v8, 4v5, 2v7, 3v6.
Night 6 will be Finals Night, consisting of Semi-Finals and a Final.
Once a player reaches five legs, they have won the match and will progress to the next round on the Night, or in the case of the final, be adjudged the winner on the Night. All eight players will compete in the first five Nights and, if they finish in the top four of the final league table, Finals Night.
Points will be awarded as follows to form the league table:
Winner of each Night: 5 Points
Runner-Up: 3 Points
Semi-Finalists: 2 Points
In the event of players being tied on Points in the league table, the following criteria will be used to determine positions:
Number of Nights won;
Number of Matches won;
Leg Difference;
Legs Won;
Legs Won Against Throw;
Tournament Average.
If players cannot be split for places within the top four after the above criteria have been applied, a play-off will be organised.
On Finals Night, the semi-finals will be played over the best of 15 legs (first to eight) and the final will be the best of 19 legs (first to 10).
The player who finishes first in the league will meet the player who finishes fourth in the league at the semi-final stage. This match will be the first semi-final. The player who finishes second in the league will meet the player who finished third in the league at the semi-final stage. This match will be the second semi-final.
The players who finished first and second in the league table shall throw first in their semi-finals. A standard throw for the bullseye will determine which player throws first in the final.
Prize Fund
Winner: AU$30,000 + place in 2026/27 World Darts Championship & 2026 Grand Slam
Runner Up: AU$23,000
Semi-Finalists: AU$20,000 each
Fifth in Table: AU$16,000
Sixth in Table: AU$14,000
Seventh in Table: AU$12,000
Eighth in Table: AU$10,000
Nightly Winner: (Nights 1-5) AU$1,000
Total: AU$150,000