Question. Who is the greatest snooker player of all time?

Macseasider

Macseasider

Well-known member
Stephen Hendry for me.

In his prime in the 90's he was unbeatable.

Yes he was boring but he was incredible. He just used to clear the table so often.

Yours?
 
Ronnie without any doubt. Even Stephen Hendry says so.

Nobody else has stopped a game to ask the referee what the prize is for a maximum break after just potting the first red and then gone on to make that maximum.

Nobody else has deliberately made a 146, potting a pink after the 15th red when he could have chosen black, in protest at a low prize for a 147.

He has the quickest 147 in history, just over 5 minutes.

Nobody else is so good playing with their other hand.

Hendry max breaks - 11
Hendry century breaks - 777

Ronnie max breaks - 15
Ronnie century breaks - 1202

Hendry was brilliant but Ronnie is just a genius. He took break building patterns up to another level after Hendry.
 
Hendry won 6 of his world titles during O'Sullivan's early career and theres a big overlap of their respective careers so I think a comparison can be made.
 
Joe Davis played on tables with much tighter pockets and much heavier ivory snooker balls so it’s difficult to compare with the modern day stars.
147 breaks are commonplace nowadays with the wider pockets and light chrysolite balls.
Ive always liked the guys who play quickly ala Higgins, White and O Sullivan.
 
Best I've seen is Ronnie, he's on a different level entirely.

Hendry has to be up there though, changed the game, first player to always attack and win everything, was never a fan but he doesn't get the credit he deserves, an absolute bully of a winning machine.

Hendry's got an excellent Youtube channel now as well.

 
A very difficult Q to answer.
Many would say Joe Davies but because the balls were a different texture then it's hard to say.
I love(d) the game and played in a few teams locally many years ago.
Always watch it on TV.
 
I once played Ray reardon. He was very good but not incredible.

Ronnie does it for me.
 
We all love flair players like White and Higgins and I used to hope anyone would beat Hendry and Davis (S) when they were winning titles consistently.
Agree a difficult question to answer.
I've always preferred the more tactical side of the game.
Selby, Higgins (J) and O'Sullivan, I believe, are the best safety players still going.
 
For me personally,
The "Greatest" was Alex "Hurricane" Higgins - a flawed genius but he could play unbelievable shots at times. By far the most exciting to watch for me, but also the one who "did my head in" (and his own!!) when things weren't going well. My teenage sporting hero... I "hated" it when Steve Davis battered him (as mostly happened). You could feel his pain. But there were high points... winning the 82 final after that amazing comeback against Jimmy in the Semi, winning the UK title against Davis in his prime, for example.
But in terms of ability, longevity and "career stats" in the "modern era", well, as said before, even Hendry acknowledges Ronnie is the best ever.
 
Great question, it's either Hendry or O'Sullivan. If they both played regularly at their peak I think Hendry would win more often I don't think Ronny could have handled him mentally. Undoubtedly Ronny was more talented though but that doesn't necessarily win you things (ask the whirlwind)
 
BigHandsOliverKahn said:
He looked like he liked a kebab or two.
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I think it was the 20 pints of lager a match (allegedly) he needed to drink to stop his cue arm shaking that was most likely the cause of his "size".
Always came across as a good bloke and he did actually have a short time in the Mid 80s, where he was "probably one of the best 4 players in the World" (according to Carlsberg 😁)
 
Wizaard said:
To be fair, Hendry was past his peak when Ronnie was on the rise, but it's still Ronnie when he put his mind to it.
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I never understood why a snooker player is past his peak. It's not exactly the most physical of sports and concentration can last well into old age.

And while I'm on a rant. How much easier would it be playing on a Crucible table with the best cues as opposed to playing on the table in the back room of The Empress or NSWMC? You needed one of those grids you used to see on the greens of Sega's PGA Golf 1991. I think the table's were actually modelled on a Casdon Soccer pitch.
 
fcblackpool said:
I never understood why a snooker player is past his peak. It's not exactly the most physical of sports and concentration can last well into old age.

And while I'm on a rant. How much easier would it be playing on a Crucible table with the best cues as opposed to playing on the table in the back room of The Empress or NSWMC? You needed one of those grids you used to see on the greens of Sega's PGA Golf 1991. I think the table's were actually modelled on a Casdon Soccer pitch.
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For a start, your eyes aren't as flexible at switching focus from near to far distances as you flick between cue ball and object ball.
 
BlackpoolWolves said:
I think it was the 20 pints of lager a match (allegedly) he needed to drink to stop his cue arm shaking that was most likely the cause of his "size".
Always came across as a good bloke and he did actually have a short time in the Mid 80s, where he was "probably one of the best 4 players in the World" (according to Carlsberg 😁)
Click to expand...
If I remember correctly he used to claim tax relief against his beer costs on the basis he couldn’t compete without it.
 
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