PDC Super Series 8: Rod Studd examines if Peter Wright, Michael van Gerwen or Rob Cross can enjoy a big finish to 2021

With winter in the air, we find ourselves in the business end of the darting calendar.

The Grand Slam and World Championship titles are up for grabs over the next two months, and the world's elite will be eyeing the biggest prizes in the sport.

But how are three of the biggest names in darts, who have each recently lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy, shaping up?

Sky Sports commentator Rod Studd joined The Darts Show Podcast to give his thoughts.

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Is Wright tinkering too much?

Peter Wright is renowned for his reluctance to settle on one set of tungsten. But is it now impacting on his performances?

"There's chopping and changing, and then there's chopping and changing," Studd said. "He was changing them mid-leg!

"I've seen Barney change them mid-match. But changing mid-leg is very strange.

"That would indicate that his mind isn't settled in any way, shape or form.

"When people say 'show us your medals', Peter can put a lot on the table. More than virtually anybody. He'd say, 'you can say it's madness, but I say that it's my method.'

"And you can't argue with his results really.

"I remember chatting to Phil Taylor. And I asked him, 'if I gave you a random set of three darts, how long would it take you to be able to play well with them?'

"He said, 'give me five minutes, I'll be fine'.

"I know he's the greatest player to ever pick up a dart, so he may well be different from mere mortals. But I think it just shows you.

"Do we place too much on this idea that you need to play with the same set of darts every week? I don't know.

"That's not to say that Peter can't get back to the form he showed in the Matchplay, which was the best we saw from anybody this year, bar none."

'MVG is getting there'

Michael van Gerwen has not quite been at his brilliant best, but is not far away from a significant breakthrough. If he clicks, silverware could follow in the coming weeks.

"Michael had all those missed darts at double against Rob Cross [in the European Championship final]." Studd outlined.

"And it was awful. But generally, he's getting there. He's a very dangerous opponent. I certainly wouldn't want to bet against him at the moment. I think Michael and Gerwyn [Price] look slightly better than Peter at the moment.

"What's we're seeing, it's generally taking a very good performance from somebody to beat him. [Danny] Noppert played brilliantly in the Grand Prix.

"If I was in Michael's camp, I wouldn't be too worried with the way he's playing. I'd still believe that he, Price and Wright are the three favourites for the World Championship, somewhere ahead of the others in the betting."

Cross is back in form, but can he kick on?

Voltage picked up the fourth major title of his career in October, triumphing at the European Darts Championship.

Now back in form, can the 2018 world champ use that success as a launchpad?

"I was very pleased for him," said Studd.

"He's had a very bad time. I hope that gives encouragement to people like Glen Durrant to realise you do go through bad spells, but if you keep working, keep trying, and keep giving 100% all the time, eventually it comes good if you're talented enough, which obviously Cross is and Durrant is too.

"Rob's bad patch was nowhere near as bad as the one Glen is going through, obviously, but he had gone through a bad patch where he was struggling to get any kind of result. Then to put all of his performances together was terrific. And I hope it gives him the encouragement to press on and really attack the tournaments we've got coming to the back end of the year, ending in the World Championship."

So is he capable of triumphing at the Alexandra Palace for the second time in his career?

"Cross is clearly capable [of winning the World Championship]," Studd said.

"His performance against Phil Taylor in the final when he won the World Championship, you'd have to set it down as one of the great final performances at the worlds, as an individual match. He was absolutely superb, he obliterated Taylor, who was not playing badly by any means. To take Taylor apart in that fashion, I think that puts that as one of the great final performances.

"So he's capable, but whether he can do it over a sustained period again, I'm not so sure."