Who is the best ever?

kram_araman

After Ronnie O'Sullivans fantastic display of snooker today I heard some commentators talk about how he is the best player to ever play the game of snooker. Now don't get me wrong i think Ronnie is a fantastic snooker player and I could watch him play like he did today every day of the week but I think it's incorrect to call him the best ever.

In my opinion he is the most naturally gifted player to ever play but can't be called the best yet due to his temperament over the years which has cost him numerous titles.

Personally I think that Hendry is the best ever. I am not old enough to remember snooker in the eighties but growing up in the nineties I can remember Stephen Hendry dominating the game to such an extent that when I would watch a tournament I just knew that he would probably win(something which I used to hate him for ).

So, who do you think is the best ever and why?

patrickc

kram_araman wrote: »

After Ronnie O'Sullivans fantastic display of snooker today I heard some commentators talk about how he is the best player to ever play the game of snooker. Now don't get me wrong i think Ronnie is a fantastic snooker player and I could watch him play like he did today every day of the week but I think it's incorrect to call him the best ever.

In my opinion he is the most naturally gifted player to ever play but can't be called the best yet due to his temperament over the years which has cost him numerous titles.

Personally I think that Henry is the best ever. I am not old enough to remember snooker in the eighties but growing up in the nineties I can remember Stephen Henry dominating the game to such an extent that when I would watch a tournament I just knew that he would probably win(something which I used to hate him for ).

So, who do you think is the best ever and why?

i take it you mean stephen hendry?

personally davis and white for sheer entertainment values

Requiem4adream

The "best player ever" is always very subjective in any sport, as differing era's are hard to compare, even if you have lived through them. Was Bobby Charlton better than Roy Keane? Roger Federer better than Bjorn Borg?

It's all about opinions of course. One thing is absolutely certain - the standard of players in the current generation is by far the most talented ever. Go back way further than Steve Davis to the likes of Reardon, Spencer, Fred & Joe Davis etc, they had little-to-no competition. Even in the early 80's and 90's the competition to Davis and Hendry was far inferior than they face today. If Ronnie played in the 80's, even with his temperament, he would have won 10+ World Titles easily against that competition.

He is undoubtedly the most naturally gifted in history, but it's his all round game that sets him apart. His break building, safety, shot-making, imagination etc is second to none. I've seen him play in pro-ams, exhibitions etc and he's just a different class. Played a friend of mine in a pro-am best-of-5 made 139, 131 , 128 3-0 in about 20 mins.

As an aside, 1 of the most best and most naturally gifted players ive ever seen is a former Irish amateur champion , Joe Canny. Absolutely mesmeric player, could have been a world beater as good as Ronnie with a better temperament.

kram_araman

patrickc wrote: »

i take it you mean stephen hendry?

personally davis and white for sheer entertainment values

I did indeed mean Stephen Hendry, sorry about that.

BaZmO*

Saying Ronnie is the best ever would be to discount the huge part having a strong mind and cool temperament plays in the game of top level snooker.

Ronnie is probably the most gifted and naturally talented player around and he's certainly the one player I love to see in tournaments as his style just makes it look so so easy, but he's definitely a flawed genius.

When it comes to sport the only real definitive judge of greatness is what that person has actually achieved rather than their perceived potential.

loyatemu

Requiem4adream wrote: »

If Ronnie played in the 80's, even with his temperament, he would have won 10+ World Titles easily against that competition.

thats a bogus argument - Ronnie is talented, but even with that talent he wouldn't have been at the same level in the 80's. Todays players are better than past players because 1 - they've learned from the players of the past and 2 - the general standard is higher now due to stronger competition.

This is the same in most sports - modern sportsmen are much stronger physically and mentally than their predecessors because they have to be to compete. Tiger Woods would win every competition he entered if he could be time-machined back to the 70s, while George Best would struggle in todays Premier League.

Ronnie may well be the most naturally talented player ever, but I wouldn't say theres that much in it between him, White and Higgins - he has many of the same frailties as them.

As for the greatest player ever - I think Davis dominated the sport in the 80s in a way that no-one else has done since. You can only beat the players that are in front of you and he did that relentlessly in a way that even Hendry didn't match in the 90s.

RichieLawlor

The Great WT imo

chopperbyrne

1. Davis
2. Hendry
3. O'Sullivan

If Ronnie keeps playing like he did during these championships for the next ten years, then he might move up to first.

horsecrap

o sullivan for me, just watching him play with his left or right. i think thats unbelievable.
of course hendry aswell.

5ForKeeps

Going on from what i have seen and the generation i am in it is either Hendry or O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan is like Jimmy White in his day, the fans loved him but the difference is Ronnie won the big the pressure events like the World Championship despite what problems he has had in his career he is a living Legend!!

seanhynes

has to be hendry ,based on the fact he has won 7 worlds, but if theres anyone who can beat that feat its ronnie

melon_collie

I would have to agree totally with OP. i can't stand this crap about Ronnie being the 'best player ever'. Yes he is the most skilful player ever but I'm afraid he doesn't have it mentally. When things aren't going right for him all he does is moan, give interviews about how he's goin to give up, etc.

I had to laugh after he lifted the cup a few weeks ago, and then began dropping hints about how he was thinkin about giving up. As soon as he said it I said to myself: ' for **** sake, all we're going to have to listen to now is the ones in studio (steve davis, john parrot , hazel Irvine) talk all night about the possibility of him giving up.

And sure enough, the remainder of the program was spent talking about the possibility of snooker without Ronnie!!!!!!

I don't ever think I've heard a player moan so much.

horsecrap

melon_collie wrote: »

I would have to agree totally with OP. i can't stand this crap about Ronnie being the 'best player ever'. Yes he is the most skilful player ever but I'm afraid he doesn't have it mentally. When things aren't going right for him all he does is moan, give interviews about how he's goin to give up, etc.

I had to laugh after he lifted the cup a few weeks ago, and then began dropping hints about how he was thinkin about giving up. As soon as he said it I said to myself: ' for **** sake, all we're going to have to listen to now is the ones in studio (steve davis, john parrot , hazel Irvine) talk all night about the possibility of him giving up.

And sure enough, the remainder of the program was spent talking about the possibility of snooker without Ronnie!!!!!!

I don't ever think I've heard a player moan so much.

well it just goes to show, what he brings to the game. without him, theres not much to it. as soon as ronnie gets knocked out of a tourney, ya sumwat lose interest in it.
maybe its just me, but the entertainment factor is a big one for any sport in my book, like ronaldo with utd etc. otherwise its just plain old boring. would u prefer to watch a match with Ronnie o Sullivan VS Jimmy white, or Peter Ebdon Vs Steve Davis !!!

mickdw

Mark williams very naturally gifted also with such a relaxed style. He makes it look even easier than ronnie does. If only he would practice! I would have to say hendry is without doubt the best to date, dominated for a decade and now a real force again and could well have won this years world championship. He is miles ahead in compeditive centuries made also. At his prime, he played consistently at a level where even ronnie only reached half the time.

oneillMan999

its simple really...
best all round player....HENDRY
most talented......toss up between WHITE and O`SULLIVAN

:cool:

ArmaniJeanss

horsecrap wrote: »

Would u prefer to watch a match with Ronnie o Sullivan VS Jimmy white, or Peter Ebdon Vs Steve Davis !!!

Never enjoyed Jimmy v Ronnie matches.

Given the 4 names you've picked, I'd always prefer to see a Ronnie v Ebdon game (especially when the latter is totally focussed and putting his heart and soul into every shot and decision, and doing his 'Come on Peter' screaming). Snooker is at its best (imo) when you have a contrast in styles.