There are groups of death… and then there are groups forged in the molten furnaces of Hades itself, crafted specifically for Lucifer to sit back, lace his fingers together, and cackle with unholy delight.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is one of those groups.
Seven warriors, one infernal gauntlet. No passengers. No soft touches. No blessed relief. From first dart to last, this pool will be a merciless, heart-crushing knife-edge sprint to determine which four gladiators stagger forward to stage two — and which three are unceremoniously fed to the darting underworld.
Flying the flag for Wales, the eternally youthful Mike Huntley — “Babyface” by nickname and by miracle of nature — arrives armed with mid-80s consistency and the unnerving ability to suddenly hurl in a gear-shredding bomb when it matters most. Fifty-four years old, and still undeniably capable of ruining a few dreams.
But the real artillery comes in English colours. Chas Barstow, the granite-faced Hampshire hitman, remains a man forged for the big time. A player who once sent Ally Pally into raptures by felling Canadian, John Norman Jnr before meeting the inevitable fate that awaits so many: defeated by Michael van Gerwen. Barstow enters this group not as a participant — but as a legitimate tournament predator.
Alongside him prowls Jack Tweddell, younger, hungrier and deadlier than most. Thirty years old with the swagger of a man who knows his averages could punch a hole through a titanium board. His Challenge Tour numbers this season? Outrageous. His ceiling? Terrifying. On current form, he could glide through this group as though carried on a divine breeze.
And then comes Canada’s noble assassin, Jeff Smith, whose résumé reads like a darting epic. Lakeside finalist. Multiple-time PDC World Cup representative. A MODUS Champions Week conqueror — the only North American with the medal to prove it. Elegance, poise, icy serenity… and a game sharp enough to carve stone. If anyone in this group terrifies the others just by existing, it is The Silencer.
Robbie Martin completes the English trio — a man capable of chiselling out 90 averages as though they were nothing more than morning warm-ups. In any other group, he’d be a dark horse with real bite. But here, in this gladiatorial vortex, even a man of his quality may struggle to claw past the quartet of assassins ahead of him.
And finally, the outsiders step forward: Slovenia’s Stefano Bozicek, earnest, willing, brave… but likely outmatched in a den of seasoned beasts. And Wesley van Trijp, brother of Danny, solid and capable, but facing a mountain range of talent with bare hands and little oxygen.
This, dear readers, is a group not merely designed to test players — but to break them, remake them, and spit out whatever remains. It takes place on Friday.
ADC GLOBAL CHAMPIONSHIP – STAGE ONE – GROUP FIVE
Chas Barstow ENG
Jack Tweddell ENG
Mike Huntley WAL
Jeff Smith CAN
Robbie Martin ENG
Stefano Bozicek SVN
Wesley van Trijp NED
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC
Graphics: ADC
