Raymond Smith Wins ANZ Premier League Finals Night 2026
Raymond Smith is the 2026 ANZ Premier League champion. The Australian produced a stunning comeback in front of his home crowd at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Saturday, October 31, thrashing Tim Pusey 10-2 in the final to claim the title and book his place at the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace. In this Raymond Smith ANZ Premier League report, we break down a Finals Night that turned on one extraordinary run of legs.
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Smith had trailed early in the final after Pusey broke his throw twice, but the match then turned completely. The 46-year-old won nine legs in a row to crush his compatriot’s hopes, sealing victory with eight maximums and an average of 87.28 against Pusey’s 74.32. It was a fitting end to a season in which Smith had been the most consistent player in the field — and sweet revenge after losing last year’s final to Simon Whitlock.
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Raymond Smith ANZ Premier League Final: How the Night Unfolded
Four players arrived in Brisbane for Finals Night, and the semi-finals produced two very different contests. Smith beat Jonny Tata 8-5 in the first semi-final, averaging 87.03, while Pusey ended defending champion Simon Whitlock’s hopes of back-to-back titles with an 8-4 win, averaging 83.78 against Whitlock’s 78.34.
The final, played first to 10 legs, began badly for the table-topper. Pusey, who had beaten Smith in their previous four meetings, broke throw twice early on and looked ready to continue that dominance. Then Smith found another gear. Nine legs in a row later, the contest was over, and the Brisbane crowd was celebrating a home champion. Pusey, who had won nightly titles in Melbourne and Newcastle and reached the Adelaide final, had no answer once Smith’s scoring clicked into place.
Smith’s Road to the Brisbane Title
Smith’s triumph was built on a season of consistency. He topped the final league table with 16 points after winning nightly titles in Canberra and Auckland, and he carried that form into Finals Night. His semi-final win over Tata was solid rather than spectacular, but the final was something else entirely — a nine-leg burst that turned a deficit into a rout.
The victory also settles a score. Last year Smith reached the same final in Brisbane and lost 10-7 to Whitlock. This time, with the defending champion already eliminated in the semi-finals, Smith made sure there would be no repeat of that disappointment. His eight 180s in the final underlined the scoring power that had carried him through the season, and his 87.28 average was the highest of the night.
What the ANZ Premier League Title Means for Smith
The ANZ Premier League title sends Smith back to the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace, where he will make his fourth appearance at darts’ biggest event. The 2026/27 World Championship runs from December 11, 2026 to January 3, 2027, and Smith will arrive there as a player in form and full of confidence after his Brisbane triumph.
For Oceanic players outside the PDC’s main tour, the ANZ Premier League is one of the few routes to Alexandra Palace, which makes Finals Night one of the most important dates on the Australian darts calendar. Smith’s win also continues his remarkable late-career run: the Queenslander has become one of the most reliable performers on the Oceanic circuit, and his Brisbane victory is the biggest title of his career so far.
Tim Pusey’s Night Ends in Disappointment
For Pusey, the final was a harsh ending to an excellent season. He had been the form player of the series, winning in Melbourne and Newcastle and reaching the final in Adelaide, and his semi-final win over Whitlock was one of the performances of the night. His 83.78 average in that match showed he was throwing well — but in the final, after his early breaks, his scoring fell away just as Smith’s surged.
Pusey’s consolation is that he proved himself against the best in Oceania all season, and his rivalry with Smith — he had won their previous four meetings before Brisbane — now has a new chapter. On this evidence, the pair will meet again with plenty at stake, and Pusey will be determined to reverse Saturday’s result.
ANZ Premier League Finals Night 2026 Results
- Semi-final 1: Raymond Smith 8-5 Jonny Tata (Smith 87.03, Tata 85.24)
- Semi-final 2: Tim Pusey 8-4 Simon Whitlock (Pusey 83.78, Whitlock 78.34)
- Final: Raymond Smith 10-2 Tim Pusey (Smith 87.28, eight 180s; Pusey 74.32)
- Venue: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
- Date: Saturday, October 31, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the ANZ Premier League Finals Night 2026?
Raymond Smith won the title, beating Tim Pusey 10-2 in the final at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on October 31, 2026, after winning nine legs in a row.
What did Raymond Smith win with the ANZ Premier League title?
The ANZ Premier League title and a place at the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace, where he will make his fourth appearance at the event.
Who did Raymond Smith beat in the semi-finals?
Smith beat Jonny Tata 8-5 in the first semi-final, while Tim Pusey beat defending champion Simon Whitlock 8-4 in the second semi-final.
How did the ANZ Premier League final turn around?
Pusey broke Smith’s throw twice early in the final, but Smith then won nine legs in a row, hitting eight 180s and averaging 87.28 to seal a 10-2 victory.
Who won last year’s ANZ Premier League?
Simon Whitlock won the inaugural 2025 event, beating Raymond Smith 10-7 in the final. Smith reversed that result in Brisbane this year.
When is the World Darts Championship?
The 2026/27 World Darts Championship runs from December 11, 2026 to January 3, 2027 at Alexandra Palace in London.
Conclusion
Raymond Smith’s 10-2 demolition of Tim Pusey was the perfect way to end the 2026 ANZ Premier League season. After topping the league table, surviving a tricky semi-final against Jonny Tata and then producing a nine-leg burst that turned the final on its head, Smith earned every part of his Brisbane triumph — and with it, a return to Alexandra Palace that his season fully deserved. For a player who lost last year’s final, this was redemption in the most emphatic style possible.
The wider story is what this win says about Oceanic darts. The ANZ Premier League has given Australia and New Zealand’s best players a stage, a crowd and a genuine route to the World Championship, and Smith’s victory shows how much that stage matters. As the PDC season now turns to the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton and the Players Championship Finals in Minehead, Smith can look ahead to December knowing he belongs among darts’ biggest names. Brisbane gave him the trophy; Alexandra Palace will give him the chance to prove it all over again.
