Ben Robb lit up the AIS Arena with a blistering display of tungsten wizardry, storming to victory on night three of the 2025 Dabble Darts ANZ Premier League in Canberra. The big Kiwi didn’t just win – he bulldozed his way into second place on the ladder with a 5–2 triumph over James Bailey in the final, becoming the third different champ in as many weeks.
Heading into the night, Robb and Bailey were propping up the table in seventh and eighth. By the end of it, both were right back in business – though it was Robb who left grinning with the $2,000 nightly cheque and a room full of cheering locals chanting his name.
The five-time World Championship qualifier was in no mood to muck around, peppering the trebles and producing a couple of thunderous 180s en route to the win.
“The room with the boys is quality, so to come away with a title is huge,” said a beaming Robb afterwards. “Canberra, you legends – thanks heaps. I was a bit flat at times, but the crowd got right behind me. It’s a real confidence booster for the rest of the comp.”
It wasn’t all smooth sailing, though. Robb’s campaign began with a scrappy 5–3 win over countryman Jonny Tata, before he found top gear and left scorch marks on the oche with a 103.38 average in a 5–1 demolition of Tim Pusey – easily the sharpest performance of the league so far.
As for Bailey, the Queenslander went from quiet achiever to headline act. After picking up just two legs across the first two weeks, he suddenly found his rhythm in the capital. A 5–2 opening win over Brody Klinge got the engines going, and a gritty 5–3 victory over Night Two winner Raymond Smith sent him flying into his first final.
“I was hungry tonight, mate,” Bailey admitted. “The first couple of weeks really ticked me off, so I just wanted to get out there and show what I can actually do. I started well in both games, held my throw, and just hung tough.”
Elsewhere in the quarter-finals, Pusey made light work of Joe Comito with a 5–1 stroll, while Smith got the better of Simon Whitlock 5–2 in a rematch of last weekend’s final.
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After three nights of action, The Guru Smith remains perched at the top on ten points, with Robb snapping at his heels on seven. Tata sits third on five, and Pusey is right behind him on four.
Next stop: Hobart. The MyState Bank Arena will play host to night four next Saturday, and it’s shaping up to be a belter – a top-of-the-table clash between Smith and the man ringing loud and clear right now, Big Ben Robb.
Quarter-Finals
James Bailey 5-2 Brody Klinge
Raymond Smith 5-2 Simon Whitlock
Ben Robb 5-3 Jonny Tata
Tim Pusey 5-1 Joe Comito
Semi-Finals
James Bailey 5-3 Raymond Smith
Ben Robb 5-1 Tim Pusey
Final
Ben Robb 5-2 James Bailey
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