The MODUS Super Series returns for Week 4, and the latest field brings together some of the most recognisable names on the non-Tour Card circuit alongside players arriving with excellent recent form.
One of the great strengths of the Super Series is the variety of routes players take to reach Portsmouth. Former major champions, ex-PDC professionals, Challenge Tour regulars and players progressing through the grassroots game can suddenly find themselves competing on the same stage.
Week 4 looks a particularly good example.
Steve Beaton and John Henderson need little introduction, while Ted Evetts, Matthew Dennant, Paul Hogan and James Richardson all have substantial experience behind them. There are also potentially dangerous players further through the field, including Adam Hunt, Colin Osborne and Danny van Trijp.
And while reputation inevitably attracts attention, the Q4QS database suggests that some of the players arriving in the best form aren't necessarily the biggest names.
Can Beaton Roll Back the Years?
There will inevitably be plenty of attention on Steve Beaton.
The former Lakeside World Champion's career spans generations, and his appearance in the MODUS Super Series gives Week 4 another fascinating storyline.
The recent Q4QS data shows that Beaton can still produce the level required to trouble strong opposition.
His best Challenge Tour run in the database came at Event 3, where he reached the quarter-finals with an 86.33 event average, while his notable performances include an 89.81 in victory over Daniel Klose.
His more recent results have been mixed – he's 6-4 across his last ten recorded matches – but the quality remains.
And the Super Series environment can be very different from a huge Challenge Tour floor. With repeated matches, a settled board and opportunities to build momentum across the week, it will be fascinating to see what Beaton produces.
Henderson Has Been Going Deep on the Challenge Tour
John Henderson arrives with considerably stronger recent results.
The Scot is 8-2 across his last ten recorded matches, and there is an impressive consistency to his recent Challenge Tour record.
He reached the last 32 of Event 16 before producing consecutive quarter-final appearances at Events 17 and 18. His Event 17 run came with an 87.24 tournament average, including performances of 94.42 and 93.94.
That is particularly relevant here.
Henderson isn't simply a famous name from the past entering the Super Series. The recent evidence says he's still winning matches against strong opposition.
If he brings that Challenge Tour level to Portsmouth, he should be extremely competitive.
Dennant Arrives in Outstanding Form
One of the strongest statistical profiles in the entire Week 4 field belongs to Matthew Dennant.
Dennant is 9-1 across his last ten recorded matches, but even that doesn't fully describe his recent run.
His last five events in the Q4QS database include four tournament victories.
He won twice at The Beacon Way in Walsall, added another title at Tipton Sports Academy and then won at The Beacon Way again before reaching the last 64 of the UKDA National Finals.
His Tipton victory was particularly impressive: an unbeaten 8-0 tournament with an 89.62 event average.
The database also has a best recorded performance of 120.24 for Dennant.
This is exactly the sort of player the Super Series can reward. Dennant may not carry the mainstream recognition of Beaton or Henderson, but anyone following the wider darts circuit will know how dangerous he can be.
On current form, he has to be considered one of the major contenders.
Hogan Just Keeps Winning
Then there is Paul Hogan.
If recent winning form is the criterion, it is difficult to make a stronger case for anyone.
Hogan is 10-0 across his last ten matches in the database.
More significantly, his last five recorded tournaments contain four victories and a semi-final.
He has won at The Academy in Basingstoke twice, The Wolversdene Club in Andover and Burghfield Community Sports Association, with his Andover success coming via an 87.02 event average.
Hogan's longevity sometimes disguises just how competitive he remains.
He isn't appearing in Week 4 simply because of what he has achieved previously. He's arriving while winning tournament after tournament.
That makes him one of my strongest picks for the week.
Evetts Looking to Convert Scoring Into a Run
Ted Evetts brings another combination of experience and recent success.
The former PDC Tour Card holder and World Youth Champion has been active on the Challenge Tour, but one of his standout recent performances came in Vault 18.
Evetts went 8-0 at The Crow Pie in Rugby, winning the tournament with an excellent 92.50 average.
That run included a 100.20 performance against Harvey Lucas-Carter and a 95.42 against Jacob Crinigan.
His subsequent Challenge Tour results haven't produced the same sustained run, although his tournament averages of 90.20 at Event 16 and 91.08 at Event 20 demonstrate that his scoring remains strong.
If Evetts converts that scoring into results, he could quickly become one of the week's leading players.
Richardson Quietly Building an Excellent Record
My final selection is James Richardson, whose recent numbers are difficult to overlook.
Richardson is 9-1 across his last ten recorded matches and has been accumulating titles.
His recent sequence includes victories at Earls Barton Silver Band Club and two different Vault events at Windmill Club in Rushden, including an unbeaten 7-0 performance with an 82.92 tournament average.
There's a 94.48 individual performance among the recent data as well.
Like Hogan, Richardson has vast experience, but his selection isn't based on reputation.
He's here because he's currently winning.
🎯 Q4QS Six to Follow
1. Steve Beaton
The former world champion still possesses the scoring level to trouble anyone, with a 98.88 best recorded average in the Q4QS data.
2. John Henderson
Back-to-back Challenge Tour quarter-finals and an 8-2 recent record make Henderson one of the strongest form players among the established names.
3. Matthew Dennant
Four wins from his last five recorded events, 9-1 in his last ten and a huge scoring ceiling make Dennant a serious contender.
4. Paul Hogan
A perfect 10-0 across his last ten and four tournament wins from his last five appearances – Hogan arrives in exceptional form.
5. Ted Evetts
An unbeaten Vault victory with a 92.50 tournament average shows just how dangerous Evetts can be when everything clicks.
6. James Richardson
Nine wins from his last ten recorded matches and multiple recent titles make Richardson another player whose current form demands attention.
Beyond the Six
There are plenty of reasons not to restrict the conversation to those six.
Adam Hunt has a Q4QS overall average of 85.88 and has demonstrated a very high ceiling, including a 103.73 performance against Matthew Dennant at Q School.
Former Players Championship winner Colin Osborne adds another hugely experienced name. His recent results have been inconsistent, but he reached the last 64 of Challenge Tour 20 and produced an 84.69 during that event.
Dutchman Jurgen Nuijten is 7-3 across his last ten recorded matches, while Danny van Trijp is another player with experience of competing at a high level.
That's what makes this field so interesting. There are players with huge amounts of stage experience, others currently dominating grassroots tournaments and several capable of producing averages well into the 90s and beyond.
A Week Where Reputation Might Not Be Enough
It's tempting to look at Week 4 and immediately focus on Beaton and Henderson.
They are the two names most casual darts followers are likely to recognise.
But the data tells a more interesting story.
Hogan is 10-0.
Dennant is 9-1 and has won four of his last five recorded tournaments.
Richardson is 9-1.
Henderson is 8-2 and has recently made consecutive Challenge Tour quarter-finals.
Evetts has produced a 92.50 tournament-winning average.
That creates exactly the sort of field I enjoy watching in the MODUS Super Series.
We know what some of these players have achieved.
Week 4 is about discovering what they can do now.
And with experience, current form and some serious scoring power colliding in Portsmouth, there should be plenty to follow throughout the week.
