World Champion Luke Humphries had a fine Premier League campaign on debut, finishing second in the table and runner-up to Luke Littler.
Despite the outstanding quality and blockbuster matches, the format change in 2022 has been controversial.
The number of participants was slashed from ten to eight, and a mini tournament takes place each night as opposed to each player playing once.
Fans on social media have criticised the format and Gerwyn Price has previously voiced his displeasure over the change.
Whilst the World Number One does not share Price’s opinion, he has weighed in with his opinion on how the PDC could mix it up.
Luke Humphries suggests the PDC could take inspiration from golf
‘Cool Hand’ Luke is laid back about which direction the PDC takes but suggests that a format similar to the PGA’s FedEx cup could help freshen things up.
Speaking to Sports Boom, he said: “I’m happy to play in what the fans want, to be honest. Whatever the fans want in the Premier League, whether it’s one night, one game a night or it’s the league format you won’t see me moaning about because it’s all about the fans.
“It could work like the FedEx Cup, you’d have the first phase with 10 players, and then start again with the different format for phase two, with the person who won topped the table starting on eight points, and so on, if you finish top you see the rewards.”
Humphries believes the PDC should empower the fans by giving them the choice to see how the elite battle it out on the oche.
“Whatever the fans want, I think they [the PDC] should do a poll. What do the fans want to see? What do they want? Do they want the black and white league format? Because at the end of the day, this is for the fans, isn’t it?
The Premier League must evolve to remain fresh
The format of the Premier League is debated as nearly as much as the line-up itself.
The change in 2022 was a welcome attempt to freshen things up but seeing the same matches so often can harm the spectacle.
This year was boosted by the added interest of Luke Littler which helped fend off staleness, but the PDC should look to adapt to maintain interest.
With the change to eight competitors, some players have been unlucky to miss out in recent years such as major champions Ross Smith and Danny Noppert.
To combat this, the PDC could explore the possibility of extending the format to 12 players with each player playing once a night, with the bottom two being relegated at the halfway point.
Whatever the PDC decide to do, ultimately it is the players that make the event and the emergence of Littler and Humphries over the past 12 months puts darts in a good place moving forward.