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Re: Murphy slams critics double standards compared to Ronnie

Postby McManusFan

Anyone else watch the Hendry's interview with him? It was pretty good. Shaun does have a bit of a point about Ronnie not getting any stick for it, but as far as I know Ronnie has never commented and played in the same day. But if it works for him, good on him.

Re: Murphy slams critics double standards compared to Ronnie

Postby lhpirnie

Shaun Murphy is trying to position himself as the new Dennis Taylor / John Virgo: the BBC's new 'voice of snooker'. He's got to be very careful being so outspoken if he wants that role, as it doesn't fit easily with the BBC's impartiality requirements.

There have been several occasions when he's made strong comments, and then had to retract them. He could be a little bit more thoughtful.

Re: Murphy slams critics double standards compared to Ronnie

Postby SnookerFan

McManusFan wrote:Anyone else watch the Hendry's interview with him? It was pretty good. Shaun does have a bit of a point about Ronnie not getting any stick for it, but as far as I know Ronnie has never commented and played in the same day. But if it works for him, good on him.


It is a bit of a double standard. It often isn't the done thing to criticise Ronnie, because he's Ronnie.

Having said that, Ronnie is in a different stage of his career, at the moment. Though only six years older than Murphy, he's a seven time World Champion, seven time Masters Champion, seven time UK Champion, more ranking events than anybody else. If he is moving into other phases of his career, and prioritising punditry work for some of the events, than that's kind of his right.

It's Murphy's right as well, of course. If he is happy with his haul of ranking events, and thinks; "I'm 40, I can move on to other things whilst still playing", then it is his decision. So maybe, who are we to criticise? It's his decision to make, not ours.

I think what it is, mainly, that most people expect that you move into commentary and punditry when your best years are behind you. That's why Murphy gets the criticism. Doherty, for example, still plays, but he's not realistically going to be winning tournaments. He barely qualifies any more, let alone win. It's not like he was commentating shortly before playing in the 1997 Crucible Final.

Ronnie feels like an exception, because he seems to be able to do the punditry work, and still win big tournaments. But it's worth remembering that, even if it does affect his trophy haul, it really doesn't matter. Ronnie's status is already secured, and he has nothing to prove. I am not sure that's the case with Murphy. It feels like he has to win at least one more World Championship. I think people feel that should be a priority first. Even if it his up to him ultimately.

Re: Murphy slams critics double standards compared to Ronnie

Postby mantorok

Think I've said this before but Murphy's game is stuck in a rut, he should be focusing 100% on practice and his game, IF he's serious about winning again, bucking about in punditry is a major distraction, his game should come first.

Wanting to do punditry, commentary etc. just reeks of a safety net in case he doesn't make it back to winning titles, that's not committment, it could be a) lack of confidence or b) laziness.

ROS also only works for ES, not BBC, I get the impression ES is a lot more laid back, BBC will be far more regimented, so I guess it hasn't hindered ROS quite so much, I mean let's be honest ROS just basically kicks it with the rest of the studio team like he's hanging out in the local pub, he also doesn't commentate much, if you look at his screen/voice time compared to Murphy's it's probably less and he certainly doesn't take it as seriously as Murphy does.
Last edited by mantorok on 31 Jan 2023, edited 1 time in total.

Re: Murphy slams critics double standards compared to Ronnie

Postby RunningSide

mantorok wrote:Think I've said this before but Murphy's game is stuck in a rut, he should be focusing 100% on practice and his game, IF he's serious about winning again, bucking about in punditry is a major distraction, his game should come first.

Wanting to do punditry, commentary etc. just reeks of a safety net in case he doesn't make it back to winning titles, that's not committment, it could be a) lack of confidence or b) laziness.

ROS also only works for ES, not BBC, I get the impression ES is a lot more laid back, BBC will be far more regimented, so I guess it hasn't hindered ROS quite so much, I mean let's be honest ROS just basically kicks it with the rest of the studio team like he's hanging out in the local pub, he also doesn't commentate much, if you look at his screen/voice time compared to Murphy's it's probably less and he certainly doesn't take it as seriously as Muprhy does.

Totally agree with your post.Never feel Ronnie takes it to serious anyway, probably useful TV and media exposure and a bit of cash.

Re: Murphy slams critics double standards compared to Ronnie

Postby SnookerFan

mantorok wrote:Think I've said this before but Murphy's game is stuck in a rut, he should be focusing 100% on practice and his game, IF he's serious about winning again, bucking about in punditry is a major distraction, his game should come first.

Wanting to do punditry, commentary etc. just reeks of a safety net in case he doesn't make it back to winning titles, that's not committment, it could be a) lack of confidence or b) laziness.

ROS also only works for ES, not BBC, I get the impression ES is a lot more laid back, BBC will be far more regimented, so I guess it hasn't hindered ROS quite so much, I mean let's be honest ROS just basically kicks it with the rest of the studio team like he's hanging out in the local pub, he also doesn't commentate much, if you look at his screen/voice time compared to Murphy's it's probably less and he certainly doesn't take it as seriously as Muprhy does.


What I've noticed, being at live events, is that on occasion the Eurosport studio goes dark and they just sort of leave. I'm not saying that's all the time, they're obviously there sometimes watching frames, and taking notes. But if they're off, setting up a feature or whatnot, like that bit where Neal Foulds is bucking around on the big screen or whatever in mid-session, I get the impression that Ronnie would be free to pot a few balls or whatever if he feels like keeping his arm in.

I don't mean this as an insult, but I don't see Ronnie's punditry as the most polished. Rachel shows a clip, Ronnie responds, etc. On the BBC, there stuff looks more prepared, or even rehearsed. Like you say, Eurosport feels a bit more informal.

Re: Murphy slams critics double standards compared to Ronnie

Postby The_Abbott

The BBC is a suit. Eurosport is T-Shirt and Jeans.

Ronnie doesn't suit the former and will never work for the BBC.

Murphy is very much suited, unfortunately, to the BBC and we will hear his vocals for the next 50 years. Now, where is the nearest bus?

Re: Murphy slams critics double standards compared to Ronnie

Postby HappyCamper

if murphy wants to do commentary and the bbc are happy with his output, then by all means he should. if it does affect his playing, positively or negatively, then that's his choice. whatever happens he's had a highly successful career.

Re: Murphy slams critics double standards compared to Ronnie

Postby Iranu

I thought it was interesting when Joe Perry said that doing punditry actually helps him retain focus on his own snooker, rather than being distracted and taking his mind off it. And you can’t argue with him after he won the Welsh last year. Maybe Murphy feels the same - although if he watches snooker as much as he says you wouldn’t think he’d beed to be working. Surely hours in a comms box is quite draining with a match the next day?

But again, Joe’s in the twilight of his career whereas Murphy should still be near his prime.

I’ve said it before but Murphy told Hendon a few years back that he wouldn’t consider punditry because it would mean his career was on the wane. If he believes this, and with his back issues and all that wants to carve out a new career for himself he’s well within his rights to do so. And frankly he doesn’t need to tell the other players “yeah I’ve lost confidence in my game so I’m making a backup career for myself.”

Just maybe he shouldn’t do it in between his own matches and sessions?

Re: Murphy slams critics double standards compared to Ronnie

Postby lhpirnie

For me the biggest problem with Murphy is that he does so much. When he's working for the BBC there's hardly a session when he's not playing, commentating, in the studio or doing an interval feature.

When he launched that tirade against Si Jiahui, he complained about his "livelihood", and then spent the next 9 days on the BBC set, something that the majority of players (who need the money more than he does) don't get a chance to do. And now he's talking about double standards?

Re: Murphy slams critics double standards compared to Ronnie

Postby SnookerFan

The_Abbott wrote:The BBC is a suit. Eurosport is T-Shirt and Jeans.

Ronnie doesn't suit the former and will never work for the BBC.

Murphy is very much suited, unfortunately, to the BBC and we will hear his vocals for the next 50 years. Now, where is the nearest bus?


I don't suppose he'll still be doing it when he's 90.

Then again, you never know with Smurph.

Re: Murphy slams critics double standards compared to Ronnie

Postby SnookerFan

lhpirnie wrote:For me the biggest problem with Murphy is that he does so much. When he's working for the BBC there's hardly a session when he's not playing, commentating, in the studio or doing an interval feature.

When he launched that tirade against Si Jiahui, he complained about his "livelihood", and then spent the next 9 days on the BBC set, something that the majority of players (who need the money more than he does) don't get a chance to do. And now he's talking about double standards?


It's not the first time Murphy has had a pop at Ronnie. And he does it in such a way, that even if you agree to an extent with what he says, you get the impression it's more driven by jealousy than any actual real problem with Ronnie's behaviour. Murphy does come across like he wants to be the face of snooker.

He really needs to stop worrying what other people are doing. Shaun sets himself up as the voice of morality, when he's really not. I do believe he often means well, but meaning well and doing well aren't always the same thing.

Can you imaging Stephen Hendry in his prime caring what other players were doing? Or saying? He was there to win, and there was no other objective. Obviously, I am not saying every player is going to be comparable with Prime Hendry. But maybe Murphy should spend a bit more attention thinking about his game, than worrying what other people are doing.

That Si Jiahui rant you used as an example, is a good one. Murphy's moaning had no real basis, and just looked like sour grapes after losing. Murphy tried to make a joke about it afterwards, in what I can only assume was a way of backtracking or absolving himself. Yes, Murphy isn't the first person to be slightly huffy after losing, and we shouldn't expect anybody to be perfect. We're all human. But when you're the sort of person who points out a lack of good behaviour in others, you sort of set yourself up to look a mug when you're the one behaving poorly.

Re: Murphy slams critics double standards compared to Ronnie

Postby SnookerFan

HappyCamper wrote:if murphy wants to do commentary and the bbc are happy with his output, then by all means he should. if it does affect his playing, positively or negatively, then that's his choice. whatever happens he's had a highly successful career.


That is the main crux of it, to be fair.

We can agree or disagree with what he does. But at the end of the day, it's his decision.

Re: Murphy slams critics double standards compared to Ronnie

Postby Scooper

McManusFan wrote:Anyone else watch the Hendry's interview with him? It was pretty good. Shaun does have a bit of a point about Ronnie not getting any stick for it, but as far as I know Ronnie has never commented and played in the same day. But if it works for him, good on him.


I would, but that’d mean listening to yet more of smurph.

Re: Murphy slams critics double standards compared to Ronnie

Postby SnookerFan

"The criticism I've taken for jumping into this world I think is very, very unfair," Murphy claimed. "If you watch enough footage; Dennis Taylor who we all rave about, your John Virgos. They have been doing it 40 years while still playing."

He doesn't look on here, much. rofl