The PDC pick up their popular World Series of Darts tour again this week as they play the first of three Antipodean stops with week one in Brisbane, Australia. Following this week’s event at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), the action will then head over to Melbourne Arena in — wait for it — Melbourne on August 16 through 17, before crossing the Tasman Sea to Hamilton’s Claudelands Arena for the New Zealand Darts Masters on August 23 and 24.
So far this series we have seen Nathan Aspinall win in Las Vegas to take home the US Darts Masters and Peter ‘Snakebite’ Wright scoop the German Darts Masters and the Brisbane Darts Masters is sure to offer more of the same.
Made up of 16 players in total – 8 PDC professionals and 8 Oceanic Representatives – ITV4’s coverage of the Brisbane Darts Masters will not be broadcast live due to Brisbane being 10 hours ahead of the UK. Instead, live action can be streamed through the PDC itself, while delayed coverage will be going out from 20.00 GMT both nights.
A look at this years Brisbane Darts Masters
In 2018, when Rob Cross won the inaugural event in Brisbane, Australia had three representatives who made it as far as the quarter-finals. Kyle Anderson was on a PDC invite and was joined by wildcard Corey Cadby and DPA World Series Order of Merit qualifier Raymond Smith. While none of the Aussies made it to the last four, there were some impressive performances along the way, not least when Smith thrashed Michael Smith 6-1.
This year, Simon Whitlock is a homegrown PDC representative, while Corey Cadby is once again a wild card and is again joined by Kyle Anderson who will play Peter Wright first. There will also be debuts for local stars James Bailey, Haupai Puha, Koha Kokiri, Brendon McCausland and Ben Robb. Whitlock will actually begin his campaign against McCausland who once tattooed his arm.
As for the PDC, Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, Gary Anderson, Daryl Gurney, Peter Wright, James Wade, Simon Whitlock and Raymond van Barneveld will all be making an appearance down under so there are plenty to consider when making your picks.
It’s also worth noting that Aussie pair Simon Whitlock and Kyle Anderson, along with big Dutch Barney, all competed in a Players Championship event in Germany over the weekend before making their way to Australia. Damon Heta, on the other hand, won the Australian Open event staged by Darts Australia as he warmed up in style for the World Series.
Betting wise, world number one and Dutch darting phenomenon Michael van Gerwen, who opens up against Ben Robb, will be keen to show a dominant performance after a disappointing World Matchplay campaign. The online bookmakers Betway reckon on Mighty Mike as the favourite, placing an 11/8 price on his head. This event does provide the Dutchman with a massive bounce-back opportunity. Its fast-paced format means he only needs four victories to raise the trophy, something that won’t faze him whatsoever, so this price is unlikely to be bettered elsewhere.
MVG’s early elimination in Blackpool offered the opportunity for others to gain some wins along with some confidence heading into this series. No one does this apply to more than Matchplay champion and world number two Rob Cross. Voltage overcame some incredible tests against Daryl Gurney and Stephen Bunting as well as a near fightback attempt from Michael ‘Bully Boy’ Smith in what was otherwise a disappointing final. The last time Cross won a major, his form dipped for a while, but now he is older and more experienced this time around. Don’t be surprised to see his good form continue, in which case the 5/1 offered feels very generous indeed. James Bailey will provide the first test for Voltage.
Peter Wright is another man in good form with a string of recent successes on the PDC tour including a win in the recent German Darts Masters. He has rightly been installed as the second favourite and can be picked up for 5/1. Gary Anderson is still working his way up to full form following a lengthy layoff that saw him miss the Darts Premier League a few months ago, but bettors could still profit from his 7/1 price tag especially if he gets off to the perfect start against former world youth champion Corey Cadby on Friday.
Daryl Gurney (12/1), James Wade (14/1) and Raymond van Barneveld (50/1) are the rest of the PDC representatives on show in Brisbane, save for local hero Simon ‘The Wizard’ Whitlock (33/1), who always saves his best for back home. As for the rest of the Aussies on show, Corey Cadby looks to be the standout which is reflected in the betting where Betway have priced him at 28/1, just ahead of Kyle Anderson’s 33/1 with the same sportsbook.
Damon Heta (100/1), Haupai Puha (150/1), Koha Kokiri (150/1), Ben Robb (200/1), James Bailey (200/1) and Brendan McCausland (250/) bring up the field.
PDC Representatives: Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, Gary Anderson, Daryl Gurney, Peter Wright, James Wade, Simon Whitlock, Raymond van Barneveld
Oceanic Representatives: Kyle Anderson, Corey Cadby, Damon Heta, James Bailey, Ben Robb, Haupai Puha, Koha Kokiri, Brendon McCausland
Brisbane Darts Masters Schedule of play
Friday, August 9 (Best of 11 legs)
- Raymond van Barneveld v Haupai Puha
- Daryl Gurney v Koha Kokiri
- James Wade v Damon Heta
- Simon Whitlock v Brendon McCausland
- Rob Cross v James Bailey
- Michael van Gerwen v Ben Robb
- Gary Anderson v Corey Cadby
- Peter Wright v Kyle Anderson
Saturday, August 10 (Best of 15 legs)
- Quarter-finals
- Semi-finals
- Final
QUICK GLANCE AT The Brisbane Darts Masters
Venue: BCEC, Brisbane
Dates: Friday 09.08.2019 – Saturday 10.08.2019
Format: First round, best of 11 legs, QF, SF, F, best of 15 legs
Current Champion: Rob Cross
Where To Watch: ITV 4
When To Watch: (08.30 GMT PDC TV & delayed coverage on ITV 4 from 20.00 GMT)