Former world number one, Colin Lloyd has delivered a reality check to Michael Smith, warning the St Helens slinger risks turning his career into a cautionary tale if he doesn’t get on top of his injury woes.
Bullyboy, who finally lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy in 2023, has since endured a miserable 2024 and 2025. With form and fitness both missing, he’s slipped from the sport’s penthouse into the far less glamorous postcode of the PDC Order of Merit.
Lloyd, speaking to Online Darts, admitted he fears Smith’s throwing-arm issues are no longer just physical:
“I do worry for Michael. He’s a class player, and I’m not going to take that away from him. He has been – and possibly still is – one of the most frightening players out there.”
Then came the kicker.
“He’s got these niggling little injuries, and niggles become big things. I hope in the period he’s had off he’s tried to address them. I’ve only seen snippets on social media, but if he’s got it sorted there’s no doubt about his talent. If he hasn’t, though, niggles play funny tricks on your mind. Instead of focusing on who you are and what you can be, your brain starts playing tricks with you and you start looking for excuses before you’ve even gone up there and done anything.”
In other words: if Smith’s not careful, his toughest opponent won’t be Van Gerwen or Littler – it’ll be the little voice in his head whispering blame the elbow. The 2005 World Matchplay champion then stressed that Smith is too good to be circling outside the big prizes forever, but equally blunt about the reality:
“Hopefully, with the time off from missing the Matchplay, he’s had chance to reflect, sort things out, and spend time with his family. But now it’s time to go back to work. His talent is undoubted. If he’s right, he’ll push back up the rankings. He’s too good not to.”
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Whilst Essex legend and World Matchplay winner ‘Jaws‘ was cautious about Smith, he was far more upbeat about Nathan Aspinall:
“I think Nathan does get back. He only dropped because of the Matchplay money – it was huge. But he’s in everything else, and two years ago he didn’t really have runs in those events, so he’ll be on a bonus now. I’m confident he’ll climb.”
Music, I am sure to The Asp’s ears. The conversation inevitably turned to the rankings system, which critics say rewards ghosts of form gone by. Lloyd acknowledged the grumbles but stayed pragmatic:
“Maybe it is time to look at it. But that two-year system has been in place for years. Everyone knows it going in – if you win something, you’ve got to defend it two years later. It’s not perfect, but that’s the system. If they do change it, it can’t happen overnight. And don’t think the PDC don’t look at these things. They do, and they want it to be fair. But players know what’s expected of them. You win a Pro Tour this Monday, you know exactly when you’ll be defending it.”
So basically: don’t moan, do maths. On the suject of the Premier League, Lloyd joined the chorus of fans who reckon it’s become repetitive. He floated a golf-style qualification race as an alternative:
“Do you just pick the top eight in the world, no wild cards? Or maybe a race like golf – the FedEx Cup, Race to Dubai. The PDC could pick certain events, Pro Tours, Euro Tours, majors, World Series. After the cut-off, those eight or ten are your Premier League? I like that, actually. It gives you another race to follow, another narrative. Fans could track who might sneak in. It would give players a kick up the bum too. Some are just riding the wave, but others need a shake.”
That sound you just heard? A thousand darts fans cheering the thought of some new faces and match-ups on a Thursday night. Finally, Jaws offered a blunt reality check for the next generation: a tour card isn’t a free pass:
“Darts is in a very good place. It’s not just about prize money, though there’s a great living to be made. But don’t think getting a tour card means you’ve made it – that’s when the hard work begins. You’ve got to qualify for Euro Tours, you’ve got to get in majors. If you graft, you’ll be rewarded, not just financially but because your work is paying off. If you don’t, you’ll get found out quickly. Time waits for no one, and neither does darts.”
Coming from a man who’s lived it, the words carry weight. For Michael Smith, the message is brutally simple: sort the body out, silence the excuses, and climb again – or risk letting the doubts that Lloyd flagged become the story of his career.
—–ENDS—–
Images: Red Dragon Darts
