‘Cool Hand’ finds himself three points behind fourth-place Michael van Gerwen after losing at the semi-final stage in Rotterdam.
The Englishman powered past Gian van Veen with a 6-2 quarter-final win on night 11 before losing a last-leg decider against Luke Littler for the third time in this year’s Premier League.
Despite tasting defeat, the 31-year-old was exceptional in the semi-final against 'the Nuke', and even found a ruthless streak that has been missing from his game throughout the tournament.
Humphries landed 71 per cent of his doubles (5/7) and averaged 103, but that wasn’t enough to put the world number one to bed, as he finished a fascinating showdown with an 80 checkout to win the match.
That means the world number two is still waiting to reach his first final after 11 nights of the Premier League, and he’s playing catch-up in pursuit of a play-off finish and a spot at Finals Night.
Humphries facing make-or-break moment
When predictions for the 2026 Premier League were made, Humphries was nailed on to finish in the top four after beating Littler to win the 2025 final.
But ahead of his quarter-final showdown with the Nuke on night 12 in Liverpool, the 2024 world champion knows he cannot afford to lose more ground in his quest to reach the playoffs.
Sadly for Humphries, recent history doesn’t bode well for him against Littler, as he’s lost his last three meetings in the tournament.
Indeed, recording a fourth successive loss could be detrimental, depending on how many points Van Gerwen accumulates next Thursday.
The Dutchman faces a clash against Josh Rock, the man he’s beaten on three consecutive occasions, including twice in the Premier League.
Continuing that winning run in Liverpool will see him play either Littler or Humphries in the semi-final, which could throw up a chance to pull further clear of the chasing pack.
Humphries and Van Gerwen will then definitely face off on night 13 as they meet in Aberdeen. For Humphries, it presents a make-or-break opportunity. Lose, and there is a world where he kisses goodbye to the playoffs; win, and he will fancy his chances of cementing his spot at London’s O2 Arena in May.
Humphries' finishing has improved
A major problem Humphries has faced throughout the Premier League has been poor finishing, handing his opponents encouragement as a result.
Only Stephen Bunting and Rock have performed worse on the outer ring, with the Englishman recording 37 per cent on the doubles, far below his usual clinical standard.
That being said, Cool Hand has shown signs of improvement in that department, with only Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price recording a higher checkout percentage than Humphries across the last three weeks.
Indeed, combining his improved finishing with relentless treble hitting for the remaining weeks should give the reigning champion every chance of making Finals Night.
But ultimately, his chance of doing so will either materialise or collapse in the coming weeks, starting with a quarter-final clash against Littler.