Snooker

[Shaggy]

Ronnie beats Jimmy White 3-1 and faces Hendry next.

[Chrono]

Ok, here's a debate starter for you guys.

If you look at the pool (pun intented) of players that snooker has to draw from then it's much, much smaller than, say football. If Steven Gerrard had played as much snooker as Ronnie O'Sullivan, who's to say he wouldn't have been as good or even better? After all, Gerrard has risen to the top in a sport that is far more competitive than snooker.

Say football didn't exist and snooker was our national sport, would Ronnie O'Sullivan be the greatest?

I'm not sure where I stand on it personally, but I remember a watching an interview with a tennis coach who felt that British tennis suffered because from the pool of athletes this country produces, tennis is much lower on the list than football and rugby. And I'm sure snooker would be lower still.

The Chinese play snooker like mad yet they haven't produced anyone better. I'm sure eventually there will be better but it's just one of those fluke things, the stars aligning in the right place at the right time...

[red g]

The Chinese play snooker like mad yet they haven't produced anyone better. I'm sure eventually there will be better but it's just one of those fluke things, the stars aligning in the right place at the right time...

maybe they should allow truancy then !! We all know all the best snooker players are the ones with mis spent youths!

[Shaggy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/9027943.stm

[Fredo]

Just seen this and I was going to link it in here. He's an absolute legend.

[Chrono]

He said at 16 he did a 140 and left the black when playing Hendry

[Shaggy]

"It's more of a buzz to make a 140 and leave the black"

The guy is a total legend. Being as good and as talented as he is you can totally understand him needing different sorts of challenges and reasons to get out of bed and play snooker. Great interview. Also ace to see him happy and having a laugh for once.

[Chrono]

"It's more of a buzz to make a 140 and leave the black"

The guy is a total legend. Being as good and as talented as he is you can totally understand him needing different sorts of challenges and reasons to get out of bed and play snooker. Great interview. Also ace to see him happy and having a laugh for once.

He's had a pretty **** early start to life and with his struggles with depression it is really nice to see him happy.

[-V-]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/othe...er/9027943.stm

Exactly the explanation you expect from him. He's brilliant, I don't like snooker but he's just brilliant.

[red g]

what a brilliant interview.....welll yeh hearn is right 147's are easy......I just like winding people up as i get a bit bored and need a buzz

He looks well to be honest, think he seems to be well sorted with himself at moment.

[Shaggy]

Ronnie beats Hendry

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/9031570.stm

[Mr Darko]

Robertson vs O'Sullivan final LIVE now BBC 2 (First to win 5 frames).

In before...

[Ronnie wins]: he claims he's played rubbish all tournament

[Ronnie loses]: he claims he's played rubbish all tournament and 'threatens' to quit snooker as he doesn't 'enjoy it' anymore.

[Shaggy]

That was a good final and I've changed my mind about the format.

I thought of a number of points last night, while watching the final, and then 'Hazel and the boys' went and made them at the interval anyway FFS. **** it, I'll mention them anyway.

I thought it'd be a lottery, and yet the opposite transpired. The final between the world no.1 and world champ and Ronnie, and most of the top ranked players making the latter stages.

A one off I know but my early impressions are good. You can watch a whole match without falling asleep, and that can only be a good thing.

Anyone see Ronnie's break at 2-0 down? In fact it was the only frame he won. Started with a magnificent snooker behind the yellow, forced the foul, and then - with the reds all bunched on one side of the table and most colours out of commission, proceeded to make one of the best breaks I've ever seen. 72 with seemingly nothing on at all. It was fantastic.

Robertson has become some player though. He needs one chance. Bang.

[Pablo]

I also like the format too to be honest. I think it's the future of the game sadly, no one cares enough these days to watch matches dragged out over two days etc.

Robertson is superb, a real winner, and you never think he's going to miss!

[Pablo]

Oh and Ronnie played some of his absolute best ever snooker in that tournament in patches. Absolutely sublime to watch at times. On form it looks like a completely different game to everyone else.

He's an absolute one off. I struggle to think of ANYONE else in any sport that I can say that about. he makes the game look like a different game all together if that makes sense.