The SSE Arena welcomes a special challenger night as Michael Smith steps in for the recovering Stephen Bunting and hopes to spoil the party in one of darts most raucous venues. Smith last played Premier League darts here in twenty twenty three when a one hundred and ten average still proved not enough against Gerwyn Price. Revenge may be on the cards as Bully Boy faces Rob Cross for the right to meet table topper Luke Littler.

Local memories of Night One remain vivid. Luke Humphries stormed through that field to take the opening trophy while Van Gerwen dispatched Littler with a devastating burst of one eighties. Three months later the standings have tightened and every point matters with only a handful of dates left to seal play off tickets.

Smith arrives after a semi final run on the ProTour in Barnsley and speaks of renewed confidence with a slower throw tempo designed to improve his double percentage. The St Helens star accepts the Belfast choir can be intimidating yet believes a barrage of maximums will quickly win respect.

Home fans will again pin hopes on Humphries who faces Michael van Gerwen in the pick of the quarter finals. Victory for Cool Hand could cement a top two finish while another slip for the Dutchman would leave his season hanging by a thread.

Northern Irish authorities have extended late rail services to accommodate the sell out twelve thousand crowd and pubs along Titanic Boulevard report fully booked darts supper packages. If Smith can quiet that chorus he may walk away with the loudest bragging rights of his career.