Phil Taylor is poised to retire at the start of 2018
Friday 17 February 2017 11:35, UK
Wayne Mardle remains "sceptical" as to whether or not Phil Taylor will call it quits from darts after an emotional goodbye to Leeds in the Premier League.
Taylor maintained an unbeaten start with a classy 7-4 win over great rival Raymond van Barneveld at Leeds' First Direct Arena on Thursday.
The meeting with Van Barneveld - their 26th in the Premier League - marked the beginning of the end of arguably the sport's greatest rivalry.
But Mardle has doubts over 16-time World Champion 'The Power' and his insistence that he will be quitting the sport after the 2018 World Championship at Alexandra Palace.
"He's now realising that this will be the last time he will be playing here [in Leeds] and when we go to whatever area next, that will be the last time, and then the last time for something else," Sky Sports' darts expert Mardle told host Dave Clark.
"I think it's a culmination of the last 30 years of toil, of doing the tour and being away from home. It's not an easy life living out of a suitcase, but that's all coming to an end and I think he showed emotion playing up here with some nice words from Barney after their match.
"Barney didn't have to say those kind words, but it's coming to the fore that Phil is working his way out. I never thought that he would, I have got to say - I'm still sceptical, so when he walks away then fair enough.
"He seems to be saying and doing the rights things in that he's going to move on. Come next January I don't know what he's going to do because he's going to miss this."
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