Ageing trundler
Midfield
Hendry is excellent on commentary, pointing out the shots only he and a handful of others can see. I like McManus too as a kind of old fashioned commentator, reminding of my favourites from the 1970s and 80s.
Snooker world tour championship
- Thread starter jacko100
- Start date
hypersonic
Winger
Watched a few matches and it struck me that the break building doesn't seem to be as good as it used to be. Even the likes of Ronnie and Trump were losing position quite regularly. Is it all in my head, or were the top players of the 90s better (thinking of Hendry, Stevens, Higgins etc)
jacko100
Striker
pretty sure its all in your head tbh! Ronnie had five centuries in the match alone against trump, has had 64 at last count this season, playing way less than most other players. The usual suspects knock them in more, trump, ronnie, robertson etc.
Century totals for the season tend to go up year on year. That will also be due to the amount of tournaments played. There's one nearly every week now.
hypersonic
Winger
Maybe it's just that the players knocking in regular centuries and frame winning breaks were rare and 'exciting' in the 90s. Might make them more memorable & stand out; now it's expected.
If a player doesn't clean up in one visit now, it's seen as an oddity.
MrBraithwaite
Winger
I definitely feel the level is lower now. The late 90s 2000s were the best era. Near peak Hendry, the big three of O’Sullivan, Higgins and Williams and dangerous players like Hunter, Ebdon, etc.
Hunter was a massive loss who would have been at least a double world champion. And 2004 OSullivan would destroy the current version.
They also now have so many more ranking tournaments, while the UK Championship has been devalued by format changes.
Not really - peak Hendry was a match for Ronnie, as their record shows. And he was better at the Crucible. The torch passed in 2004 when he destroyed Hendry in the semis, but Hendry’s game was deteriorating. Shame he got those tips.
Should say yips. Autocorrect!
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FootballFan
Striker
Centuries are more common if you have two players who play open/poor safety so not really much of a way to monitor standards.
The old days it was about winning the frames, look at Reardon or Spencer.
MrBraithwaite
Winger
Teleport peak Davis to today, he would be world champion. Teleport peak Hendry to this day, he would be world champion. What is not talked enough about is why there are no great young players coming through. Like much of sport, computer games are taking their toll.
Spencer is totally underrated nowadays. Scored first televised 147, only to discover the camera was not switched on!
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FootballFan
Striker
What I know from other sports its always the same - the current number one is always rated the "greatest ever" by fans, how quickly they forget, and that goes for the future too.
MrBraithwaite
Winger
Personally I think Hendry at his peak was the perfect player - nerves of steel, just as heavy a scorer as O’Sullivan and immense concentration. Has a better head-to-head vs Ronnie at the Crucible too.
That said, Davis in his prime was supreme too. The way he destroyed Parrot 18-3 shows how great he was.
The balls and cloth were harder to play on in those days too I feel.
FootballFan
Striker
I agree, just very hard to say. Arguably Joe Davis was the best ever, he was a machine, for me I always go for Alex because he popularised the sport and brought it to a mass audience, but ultimately he wasted his talent on booze and women, bit like George Best.
MrBraithwaite
Winger
He had immense natural talent. That said, the forgotten man Spencer on his day may have been better than both Alex and Reardon. Was certainly their equal.
FootballFan
Striker
yes Spencer very overlooked in the all time lists, maybe because of personality? But he started the movement towards the modern era with the cue power he had withe long screw backs to safety. A great no doubt.
Ageing trundler
Midfield
Top 10 then?
O'Sullivan, Hendry, Steve Davis, Joe Davis, Reardon, John Higgins, Fred Davis, Williams, Spencer, White.
Selby not there but mentioned in dispatches.
Alex Higgins would be high on the list if he hadn't p****d it all away.
O'Sullivan, Hendry, Steve Davis, Joe Davis, Reardon, John Higgins, Fred Davis, Williams, Spencer, White.
Selby not there but mentioned in dispatches.
Alex Higgins would be high on the list if he hadn't p****d it all away.
HABA87
Striker
There's nowhere near as many snooker halls as there was in years gone by. There's noticeably less pool tables in pubs too, come to think of it.
MrBraithwaite
Winger
Would have Higgins above White and slip Ronnie down a couple of places
Ageing trundler
Midfield
On that subject, my local one at Houghton closed a couple of days ago. Trying the one at Birtley tonight.
Birtley was heaving last night, all 11 tables in use by 6.30. Great to see, nice club too.
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