Taylor - looking for 14th world title.

By Reece Killworth

Sky Bet's Odds Compare All Prices

BETTING BOX
FIXED ODDS
	8pts Phil Taylor to win at 15/8 (Sky Bet).	Back to his best and fully focused again.
	2pts Terry Jenkins to win Second Quarter at 15/8 (Stan James).	Price is much too big given his great form in the last 12 months.

This has not been Phil Taylor's year.

For 'The Power' will go in search of a 14th world title as the PDC's World Championship gets under way on Monday holding none of the five televised majors for the first time since the sport's great schism back in 1992.

In the 15 years since the PDC split from the BDO, Taylor has won those trophies a combined 31 times as he has established himself as the greatest darter of all time.

But a largely-forgettable 2007 has seen Raymond van Barneveld (World Championship, UK Open and Las Vegas Desert Classic) and James Wade (World Matchplay and Grand Prix) ease themselves into the winners' circle.

There have been claims Taylor has stepped off the gas and become distracted - and he fuelled speculation he may be preparing to retire when he admitted he had to go away and "review my career" after his first-round Grand Prix exit.

Yet no matter how much it is hyped up, the last 12 months can hardly be regarded as Taylor's annus horribilis.

Having ceded the title he covets above all other to van Barneveld at the Circus Tavern in January, Taylor proved himself a cut above in the Premier League (again) and finished the year with victory in the Grand Slam of Darts.

His bank account has reportedly been bolstered to the tune of around £800,000 (split between sponsorship and prize money) and he heads for Alexandra Palace as the favourite across the board for the world title.

Yet, as honest as ever, Taylor admitted himself this week that he "wasn't disciplined for six months".

He told The Times: "I was setting up a shop for my sons [selling sports memorabilia]. I had a lot of people coming round, people asking for tickets, and it was causing me a lot of mither. Now we've cut all that out. I've got the bite back."

The evidence was not only seen in Wolverhampton for the GSOD but also in tour events in Holland and Germany either side of that cross-code event, his victory in the latter making it four successive titles in a month.

And that - plus, obviously, his previous record - is why the best price floated for 'The Power' is 15/8 at Sky Bet.

Given what has gone before it'll be no surprise to see we're still very keen to get involved though, despite him being handed one of the trickiest first-round ties possible.

Michael van Gerwen was our tip for the BDO title last year and on his day he looks every inch a future world champion.

But he's been too inconsistent in 2007 and an in-fom and focused Taylor should have too much for the Dutchman.

Those of a nervous bent may consider a small-stakes saver on van Gerwen to oust Taylor in the first round (a 'two-point' bet at 4/1 covers our outright stake on 'The Power') but we're really happy to have 'The Power' onside.

It almost goes without saying that reigning champion van Barneveld and Wade will be Taylor's main competition, but there are enough doubts to swerve both.

Van Barneveld delivered big profits for us last year and had this event been in the middle of the year (when he was in fine form) we'd have seriously considered him at 3/1 here but he looked unusually flat at the recent GSOD.

Wade, meanwhile, has been the breakthrough player of the year with two major titles - surely the first of many - seeing him climb into third behind the 'Big Two' in the rankings.

But like 'Barney', the youngster has faded towards the end of the year and there are plenty of potential banana skins in their half of draw with the likes of Mark Dudbridge, John Part and the in-form Andy Hamilton in the mix.

Outside of the outright market, we make no apologies for returning to a bet that has delivered for us before.

Terry Jenkins to win the Second Quarter is a 15/8 shot with Stan James, and that's plenty big enough to tempt us into a bet as it would have delivered in three of the five televised majors in 2007 (and the Premier League).

The man they call 'The Bull' is carving out a reputation for himself as the PDC's bridesmaid - always hanging around on the big day but never the centre of attention.

A finalist in the Matchplay, Grand Prix, Las Vegas Desert Classic and Premier League this year, Jenkins is always thereabouts when the big prizes are handed out.

He's generally available at just 5/4 for the quarter (in which former world No 1 Colin Lloyd, Colin Osborne and Peter Manley are regarded as his biggest threats) which make Stan James' inflated price one we simply can't say no to.