2025 World Championships

For me this years WC has been poor. Standard of matches were just average. It really just feels like any other tournament.

Can't believe Williams was well out of the top 16 some years back and talking about retirement. Here he is on the cusp of another WC Final.

Lee was the biggest clown ever, if you look at the matches he was playing in that were part of the match fixing case. He would hit a few lovely crisp shots, lovely cue action. Then he would inexplicably miss a simple shot. Make an over the top reaction hand on face, odd facial expressions etc
That fella wouldn’t win an Oscar. He still claims he was innocent works in China now as a coach.

Top 4/6 player at the time plenty of money, beyond daft what Lee did.

Yup. Wilson out in R1, Allens 147, Trumps centuries, Higgins missed blue, Ronnie taking a hiding, few 10-8s, 10-9s and 13-12s

I dunno.

Himself and Williams seem to be the only two players with a personality beyond 'must focus on cue ball'.

Without doubt best snooker player of all time that is beyond argument at this stage. His stats and achievements are ridiculously good. Might not be bettered in 50 years time. He draws the crowds in both for the snooker obsessed and casual fan.

But because snooker is a niche sport and has fallen in popularity in the Uk/Ireland compared to the heyday of 80’s even 90’s Ronnie O’Sullivan will never get a wider respect for his achievements.

Why do people dislike him it is complex question. Because he is/was so dominant as the big draw the main snooker fraternity give him a LOT more leeway than they give others.

Then throw in O’Sullivan’s well written problems about mental issues which are likely to do with his very dysfunctional family background.

Partly because of this he has behaved oddly at times, and has come out with odd statements. And sometimes can seem very self centred and nasty.
An inexcusable one in my view was when he slagged off lower ranked players and how he would “have to lose an arm and a leg” to fall out of the top 32/64.

Shaun Murphy in particular (Who styled himself as Snooker ambassador - a board man) has been critical of some of O’Sullivan’s image as a working class hero.

Ronnie’s family were millionaires made from sex shops, his father used to pay pros such as Doherty to play young Ronnie at home. He had his own table, fancy cue, it all laid on.

Meanwhile Murphy’s background was working class council housing. But some Ronnie’s super fans brand Murphy as the “Posh Boy”. Murphy resents this and states it is just because he learnt to speak well etc. And points to the O’Sullivan family riches.

Williams is a one off, probably my favourite player to watch.

What about Selby, 'the jester from Leicester', he's a gas ticket, a proper caution etc.

they were all brilliant break builders. Lot lot more to the game than just break-building. Safety, tactics, temperament, shot-selection etc. Selby, for example is/was a brilliant break builder, and tactically made of steel.

I'll back 2004 or 2008 Ronnie against 1992-94 Hendry.

And goes into the press conference of his last title win topless. Legend

Most people have Higgins 3, I did think Willo deserves 4 now, ahead of Steve in 5th place.

Back in Hendry’s day depth wasn’t the same he would coast to the WC QF even SF most years.. I remember him giving hidings to Griffiths in the later stages.

I would be amazed if the World Championship is not set in China within the next decade or so. China is the heartbeat of snooker now.

got it to go up 14-11.

Surprised Judd conceded there; surely have a go at the black…