Luke Humphries is hoping for another successful night in Leeds as the BetMGM Premier League returns to the First Direct Bank Arena on Thursday. Humphries claimed nightly victory in his home venue in the last two years and has never lost in Leeds, although he needs results more than ever on Night Fourteen. The defending […]
Luke Humphries is hoping for another successful night in Leeds as the BetMGM Premier League returns to the First Direct Bank Arena on Thursday.
Humphries claimed nightly victory in his home venue in the last two years and has never lost in Leeds, although he needs results more than ever on Night Fourteen.
The defending champion finds himself in sixth, two points adrift of Michael van Gerwen in fourth, as only three weeks of league action remain before Finals Night.
The world number two has qualified for The O2 in both of his two previous appearances in the Premier League, but is at danger of missing out for the first time.
“The good thing for me is I need these points more than ever,” asserted Humphries, who has never been outside a Play-Off spot later than Night Five before this year.
“The last two years I didn’t really need them. It might make me up for it even more than I usually am.
“Out of anyone that’s ever played in the last two years at their home venue, I’m the only one that’s actually done well to be fair!”
Humphries kept himself in the mix after reaching the Night Thirteen final last Thursday in Aberdeen, defeating Dutch pair Van Gerwen and Gian van Veen before falling short to Luke Littler in a last-leg decider.
The 31-year-old is level on points with Van Veen in fifth, but has his eyes solely focused on reaching The O2 by any means.
“It was a massive game against Michael last week. I’ve put myself right back in the game,” affirmed Humphries, ahead of a quarter-final clash with Josh Rock in Leeds.
“He’s got Littler and Price and I’ve got Rock and Bunting [in the next two weeks]. Every game is tough, but my draw will give me a lot more of a chance of winning than Michael’s, but you never know in this game.
“I need to be winning the first game in Leeds and first game in Birmingham to stand a chance.
“If I don’t win in Leeds or in Birmingham, then I want to be fifth or fourth and stay within one point, to make sure there’s something on that last game and I don’t need to win the night in the last week.”
Interestingly, Humphries adopted a more methodical approach in Aberdeen, slowing down his throwing action which reaped rewards, as he reached his first nightly final since Night Six.
Ahead of a crucial evening of action in Leeds, the defending champion seems likely to deploy the strategy once again in the hope of picking up more much-needed points.
“Sometimes I’m throwing too quick and not really focusing,” explained Humphries.
“When things are going badly, they follow in badly when you’re throwing fast. If you throw slow, when the first one goes badly, it’s almost like a reset.
“When I slow it down, it all falls a little bit more natural. That’s why I adapted to it.”