Luke Littler downplayed the hostile reception from the Rotterdam crowd during the Premier League Darts, stating it was 'exactly what I expected'. Littler faced booing from the crowd for all his matches, including his run to the final, which continued the controversy that started with his spat with Gian van Veen from Night Nine in Manchester.
Van Veen had won a contentious match where Littler reacted angrily after his opponent turned towards him while throwing match darts. Littler eventually reached the final in Rotterdam but lost to Premier League leader Jonny Clayton. Despite initially saying he would not react to the crowd's taunts, Littler couldn't resist responding in his semi-final match against Luke Humphries.
When he took out tops to level the match, Littler gave a 'calm down' gesture to a section of the crowd and added some flair with his darts in the next leg. Sky Sports' Wayne Mardle noted that Littler's reaction showed his confidence and 'swagger', making him hard to deal with. Littler won against Gerwyn Price and Luke Humphries but ultimately lost to Clayton in the final.
Clayton's win extended his lead over Littler to five points at the top of the table. After the final, Clayton praised Littler, saying he has 'total respect' for him and that Littler is an 'amazing darts player'. Sky Sports' Glen Durrant also commended Littler for his response to the crowd's taunts, stating that he handled it well.