COLIN LLOYD has fired a warning to his rivals in the Holsten Premier League: "I'm getting back to my best!"
Click here to listen to the interview with Colin Lloyd in DartsTV
The World Number One has been out of sorts at times during the 2006 Premier League, taking just three points from his opening five matches.
However, he broke a run of three games without a win when he overcame Ronnie Baxter 8-4 with an impressive display in Carlisle last week.
"I was very happy," said Lloyd, who averaged almost 100 and checked out 57% of his doubles.
"It was a long time coming and I did enough to win, but you can't just do that, you've got to go out there and play good darts.
"The other six guys are playing very well but coming [to Carlisle] my arm felt part of the body again, my head felt right and everything felt good.
"It didn't overly show on stage, but it showed to me that things are coming together slowly but surely.
"I feel good and I feel that I can do more damage. I'm back, I'm playing properly again and, even if I lose a leg where I am scoring consistently well, I am letting it go and building on the next leg.
"I know that the darts are there, the confidence is there and the ability is there - so bring on the next couple of weeks, I'm looking forward to it."
Lloyd's defeats to Baxter and Peter Manley, plus a draw against Wayne Mardle, saw the defending Stan James World Matchplay champion becoming increasingly frustrated.
A brilliant four-leg burst against Manley in Wolverhampton - when he hit five 180's on his way to levelling the game at 5-all - perhaps saw Lloyd's anger publicly vented for the first time.
"Everybody that's involved in the game knows that I've been very frustrated, downright annoyed with myself actually," added Lloyd.
"I think I let a bit of that out when I played Peter Manley and lost 8-6.
"I should never have been 5-1 down, never, and to battle back the way I did was encouraging but then I let it slide again and it was disappointing. "
Lloyd meets Dutch pair Roland Scholten and Raymond van Barneveld in Newport this Thursday, and he added: "It's two tough games.
"They are both very different dart players, but I give them the respect they deserve and they will give me the respect I deserve, no matter how I've been playing, because if they don't, that's when Jaws is going to bite.
"If I can win the first match, that will give me a lot of confidence going into the second game.
"I have been struggling, but things are starting to turn and that's a good sign for myself, and a bad sign for everyone else around me."
Lloyd lost to van Barneveld in the Budweiser UK Open Regional Final in Manchester recently at the last 16 stage, but is confident he can avenge that on Thursday.
"Raymond beat me 5-2 but I missed a few darts at doubles," he said. "Raymond was respectful enough to say that, but it's another game of darts.
"That night has gone and, with my attitude, I move on and it's going to be another ball game. May the best man win!"
Thursday's other games see Baxter face Mardle and Manley meet Phil Taylor in a repeat of last week's clash in Carlisle, which Taylor won 8-1.
2006 Holsten Premier League Darts
Night Seven, Newport Centre
Roland Scholten v Colin Lloyd
Ronnie Baxter v Wayne Mardle
Peter Manley v Phil Taylor
Raymond van Barneveld v Colin Lloyd
Live on Sky Sports 1, 7.30pm
Live commentary of all games will be available to DartsTV subscribers. Highlights will be online from 6pm on Friday.
A Free Scorecentre is also available.