MICHAEL SMITH might have to admit he is no longer “one of the world’s top 32 players”, according to Paul Nicholson.
Two-time major winner Smith has failed to qualify for the World Matchplay for the first time since 2013.
Michael Smith might have to admit he is no longer ‘one of the world’s top 32 players’, according to Paul Nicholson.[/caption]
St Helens thrower Smith sees his run of 60 consecutive appearances at televised ranked events ended.
The 34-year-old sits outside the top 20 in the world following a run of poor form since his World Championship win at Ally Pally in early 2023.
Former Players Championship Finals winner Nicholson believes Smith’s absence from Winter Gardens next week is fair.
He told talkSPORT: “No, he shouldn’t be there. It’s as simple as that. It’s not even close.
“If you look at the way Ryan Joyce qualified compared to Michael Smith — it’s a big gap.
“We’re not talking about something like when Mark Webster missed out on the Grand Prix by £50, which happened 14 years ago.
“That’s a close call. This is £5,000. That’s like making a final on the Pro Tour, or the equivalent of five first-round exits. It’s not close.”
Nicholson reckons the ProTour ranking system has given Smith a harsh but fair reminder that he needs to do more.
Former darts star Paul Nicholson has delved into Smith’s downturn[/caption]
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He added: “The Pro Tour ranking system is actually very fair as a reflection of what Michael’s done over the past 12 months.
“A lot of people forget—the Matchplay race started last July. It’s a one-year ranking. He hasn’t done enough to be in the top 16 of that list. So, as far as his absence goes — it’s fair.
“And if Bully Boy had got in, looking at what Ryan Joyce has achieved over the last year — strong Euro Tour runs, consistent floor performances — it would probably be more controversial if Michael was in and Ryan was out.”
‘The Asset’ sees this as the perfect chance for Smith to reset his career.
He revealed: “I’ve got a strong opinion on this. I think this is a big opportunity for him. Every piece of adversity brings a chance.
“This is his chance to sit back this summer and ask, ‘Where do I go from here?
“If he had scraped in, he might’ve just said, ‘That’s okay, we’re still moving in the right direction.’
He shouldn’t be at the World Matchplay. It’s as simple as that. It’s not even close.
Paul Nicholson
“But now he has to step back and really think, ‘What do we do now?’”
Nicholson suggested that while Smith’s talent is unquestionable, his hunger to win might not burn as fiercely as it once did.
He said: “I’d sit him down for two hours and just listen.
“I want to know how hungry he is. I want to know what he wants for the future — and I don’t want the stock answers: ‘I want to be world champion again,’ or ‘I want to win the Matchplay.’
“That’s not going to happen when you’re not in the field.
“Maybe he needs to take a step back and realise — he’s no longer a Premier League player.
“He’ll always be a world champion — that can’t be taken away. But Michael van Gerwen said something very honest earlier this year: ‘Judge me on the player I am now, not who I was five or six years ago.’
“Michael was spot on. We have to judge Michael Smith on who he is now, not who he was in 2023.
“So I want to hear how he talks about his career now, and what his genuine goals are. Because they have to be different than they were two years ago.”
He’s no longer a Premier League player.
Paul Nicholson
Nicholson says Smith needs to dig deeper than ever to rediscover his best form.
He explained: “We’ve had Michael on a pedestal for a long time. We know his skill level. And I think what we’ve praised most in the last 18 to 24 months is his ability to dig deep.
“That’s how he became a Grand Slam and World Champion — by being more resilient.
“But this is a whole new level of digging deep. He might have to admit to himself, I’m not one of the top 32 players in the world right now despite what the rankings say.
“So he needs to ask: What got me there? What’s going to get me back? What do I need to prioritise to return to being world number one? Hard questions need to be asked, and the answers need to be brutally honest.”
List of all-time Darts World Champions
BELOW is a list of darts world champions by year.
The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions.
That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once – Barney also won four BDO titles – and none of Eric Bristow’s five BDO titles are included.
- 1994 – Dennis Priestley
- 1995 – Phil Taylor
- 1996 – Phil Taylor (2)
- 1997 – Phil Taylor (3)
- 1998 – Phil Taylor (4)
- 1999 – Phil Taylor (5)
- 2000 – Phil Taylor (6)
- 2001 – Phil Taylor (7)
- 2002 – Phil Taylor (8)
- 2003 – John Part
- 2004 – Phil Taylor (9)
- 2005 – Phil Taylor (10)
- 2006 – Phil Taylor (11)
- 2007 – Raymond van Barneveld
- 2008 – John Part (2)
- 2009 – Phil Taylor (12)
- 2010 – Phil Taylor (13)
- 2011 – Adrian Lewis
- 2012 – Adrian Lewis (2)
- 2013 – Phil Taylor (14)
- 2014 – Michael van Gerwen
- 2015 – Gary Anderson
- 2016 – Gary Anderson (2)
- 2017 – Michael van Gerwen (2)
- 2018 – Rob Cross
- 2019 – Michael van Gerwen (3)
- 2020 – Peter Wright
- 2021 – Gerwyn Price
- 2022 – Peter Wright (2)
- 2023 – Michael Smith
- 2024 – Luke Humphries
- 2025 – Luke Littler
Most World Titles
- 14 – Phil Taylor
- 3 – Michael van Gerwen
- 2 – John Part, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright
- 1 – Dennis Priestley, Raymond van Barneveld, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Luke Humphries, Luke Littler
