Luke Humphries' clear opinion on Joe Cullen after tense World Masters darts match

Luke Humphries and Joe Cullen went head-to-head successful the archetypal circular of the World Masters connected Thursday night, with the darts satellite No 1 coming retired connected apical successful Milton Keynes

Luke Humphries made his feelings wide connected Joe Cullen, calling him the funniest subordinate connected the PDC Tour.

Humphries and Cullen, who had an epic lucifer astatine the 2024 World Championship, were drawn unneurotic successful the archetypal circular of the Milton Keynes tournament, which has undergone a large revamp. Cool Hand produced a coagulated show to spot disconnected the erstwhile Premier League runner-up, though helium became visibly frustrated aft squandering 3 lucifer darts for a straight-sets victory.

After the Rockstar got a acceptable connected the board, Humphries yet wrapped up a 3-1 win. The brace are bully mates distant from the oche, with Humphries hailing the Yorkshire thrower's wit and consciousness of humour.

During an interrogation with the Happy Hour podcast, which saw him assistance the lid connected his darting rivals, Humphries said: “There’s a fewer but, for me, it’s Joe Cullen, he’s truly funny.

“He’s people funny. He’s doesn’t archer jokes, he’s conscionable witty. His consciousness of humour is precise funny. He conscionable loves a laugh. Him and a feline called Arron Monk, who you mightiness not person heard of. He’s connected the tour. They’re precise funny. If you enactment them some together, they conscionable bounce disconnected each other.”

Humphries was besides asked to sanction the subordinate with the biggest ego. With hardly a second’s thought, helium replied: “Well, that's easy, Michael van Gerwen. But helium wears it well, it benignant of suits him successful a weird way.” He added: “I’m bully friends with him arsenic well, he’s a truly bully guy.”

The question astir the astir intelligence subordinate required much thought. He said with a smile: “There’s not galore to prime from, I indispensable admit! I’ve got one, James Wade, he’s precise smart. Very intellectually astute but he’s besides got a bully caput connected his shoulders.

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“He’s invested successful things truly well. I get connected truly good with James, we talk a lot. He knows a lot. If you privation to cognize something, helium usually knows.”

Speaking aft his triumph implicit Cullen astatine the Masters, a relieved Humphries, who volition look Josh Rock successful the past 8 connected Saturday, said: “I’m truly blessed with the mode I bounced backmost aft missing those 3 lucifer darts.

“The archetypal acceptable was ever going to beryllium crucial, peculiarly successful this abbreviated format. Joe is simply a precise pugnacious subordinate to bushed and helium showed a batch of grit and determination there. I’m not disquieted astir laying down markers oregon sending retired messages. I’m conscionable present to bask myself and triumph arsenic overmuch arsenic I can.”

Elsewhere connected the opening night, defending champion Stephen Bunting survived a scare against Scottish qualifier William Boreland to triumph a five-set thriller. Luke Littler enters the fray connected Friday nighttime erstwhile helium takes connected erstwhile Lakeside world champion Andy Baetens. Meanwhile, Van Gerwen takes connected qualifier Bradley Brooks.

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