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Robbo disses The Crucible again

Postby SnookerFan

Neil Robertson wants the World Snooker Championship to replicate the atmosphere on show at the Masters last week, saying the Crucible crowd disappoints him every year.

The Thunder from Down Under lifted a second Masters title on Sunday night, strolling past Barry Hawkins in the final with a 10-4 victory.

This came after beating Ronnie O’Sullivan in the quarters in front of a boisterous crowd and then battling back to beat Mark Williams in the semi-finals in one of the best matches in the history of the event.

The Australian has been lapping up the noisy London atmosphere – as most of the players were last week – and feels other tournaments should try and learn from the spectacle at Alexandra Palace, not least the biggest event on the calendar.

Robertson reckons the World Championship should be the event with the best atmosphere in the sport, but thanks to the two-table set-up in Sheffield until the semis, he just finds it flat.

‘I think this event is always really good,’ Robertson said of the Masters. ‘In a way I feel that this is what the World Championship isn’t. The World Championship hasn’t had good loud crowds, apart from maybe at the one-table set-up, in probably 15 years.

‘I’m disappointed every year I go to the World Championship, I feel the crowd is really quiet, they don’t cheer. It just doesn’t feel like the World Championship anymore.

‘I think for me, and probably a few other players, we probably prefer playing in this than for the world title. The crowd have an impact and only the best can thrive and win under those kind of conditions.’

The 2010 world champion has only been to the one-table set-up at the Crucible once since he lifted the famous trophy in South Yorkshire, and he has no issue with the atmosphere from that stage of the tournament onwards.

However, he wants to see that set-up for more of the event, bringing up an idea he has floated in the past, which is to stage the earlier rounds elsewhere before returning to the Crucible for the semis and final.

‘It’s been a few years since I was at the one-table set-up and the one-table set-up is amazing, it’s just that the journey to get there isn’t great, which I’ve been open about,’ he said.

'You have the two tables and both crowds are quite reserved in not putting off the other table. Whereas here [Alexandra Palace] they’re just screaming and shouting, so at the World Championship, we should have two set-ups like that.

‘Have the top 16 and the 16 qualifiers, but play it in that kind of environment, you’d still get the crowds, then maybe have the one-table set-up at the Crucible for the semi-finals, that’s what I’d do. But obviously I don’t run the game.’

The 39-year-old also feels the Sheffield venue could learn from some touches on offer at Ally Pally these days, with hospitality available in the Century Club, and despite being distracted at one point during his semi-final by noises emerging from the box, Robertson thinks similar facilities should be at the World Championship.

‘The people that are coming to watch just have to be a little bit careful, but we’d rather have the hospitality and everything because the World Championship doesn’t have any of this,’ he said.
‘The sponsors want to get great value out of tournaments, meeting the players backstage, or hospitality or anything like that, the World Championship has nothing. People can’t have a drink and enjoy live snooker.

‘You’ve seen it on social media already, people wanting the Worlds here, but then this is what makes this special, that it’s the Masters.

‘So it’s up to World Snooker, the Crucible, Sheffield, whatever, to create a venue that’s deserving of the World Championship because at the moment I don’t think it is, to be a little bit negative, but I don’t think so.’

Robertson has admitted that he struggles with not just the atmosphere in the Crucible, but the tight nature of the venue when there are two tables, saying he physically can’t play some shots because of his height and the way he walks into a shot.

He wants to put that behind him this year and in future, though, and will look to do what he feels necessary off the table, to add to his one world title so far.

‘I have to stop making excuses about how tight the venue is,’ the Australian said after winning the Masters.

‘I have maybe been too stubborn at that event where I haven’t surrounded myself with enough of the right people.

‘It is great winning a tournament by yourself, where you are your own mentor or psychologist, but for the World Championship it is different and you need a good team around you because there are so many sessions.’

https://metro.co.uk/2022/01/18/neil-rob ... masters-ma

Re: Robbo disses The Crucible again

Postby SnookerFan

Odd comments, in my opinion.

He singles out the two-table set-up, but that's the difference. There's two tables. At The Masters, you could be a bit more rowdy. You'd have to be quiet when play was on, and people were on their shots. But you could shout out more and have interactions when it was appropriate because you knew there wasn't another match to disrupt. That's not the case at the two table set up at The Cruce.

I am glad that he's trying to move on from the "too tight" criticism though. It's the same for everybody, and he should be used to it by now. I could understand if it was his first year there, it must take a while to adapt. But a top player like him should be able to adapt.

You wonder if he really has put it behind him though, or if this is just more excuses to try and move away from a venue that he doesn't like.

Or is it a World Snooker thing? There seems to be a lot of subtle attempts at modernising the game now. Maybe this is something the WST wants fans to speak up about to 'test the waters'.

Re: Robbo disses The Crucible again

Postby orky

I can't see Robertson winning another world title to be honest. He's complained about the Crucible before and instead of complaining he should have tried to block it out or dealt with it in a different way. It's the pinnacle of the sport, by far and away the biggest tournament in the calendar. For whatever reason, he just freezes mentally at the latter stages and/ or when up against a top player. Although he will be winning big trophies well into his 40's, I'd be surprised if he wins again at the Crucible. Criminal really as he's way too good a player to be stuck on one world title.

Re: Robbo disses The Crucible again

Postby SnookerEd25

I actually think he might confound us all and win this year. Everyone is now expecting him to be pants again - including himself probably- and therefore he might relax and play his natural game, free of the pressure that the other top players are feeling.

Should he get to the one table stage, you’ve got to fancy him I reckon :chin:

Re: Robbo disses The Crucible again

Postby Andre147

SnookerEd25 wrote:I actually think he might confound us all and win this year. Everyone is now expecting him to be pants again - including himself probably- and therefore he might relax and play his natural game, free of the pressure that the other top players are feeling.

Should he get to the one table stage, you’ve got to fancy him I reckon :chin:


Yep my feelings exactly. Everyone expecting him to lose, then he wins the whole thing lol

I would like that if Ronnie can't win it. Robbo definately should be at the very least 2 time world champion.

Re: Robbo disses The Crucible again

Postby shanew48

Fair enough he would have been asked about the WC rather then just start talking about it himself but probably should have kept the more negative thoughts to himself as to be fair he had just won hundreds of thousands of pounds so overall things arnt going too badly are they! first world problems spring to mind.

Re: Robbo disses The Crucible again

Postby lhpirnie

I actually think a lot of the top players think the same way. In almost all of the interviews at the Masters, the players went out of their way to praise the venue and atmosphere. It was an implicit criticism of the Crucible, but they are just too scared to say it.

Re: Robbo disses The Crucible again

Postby Iranu

lhpirnie wrote:I actually think a lot of the top players think the same way. In almost all of the interviews at the Masters, the players went out of their way to praise the venue and atmosphere. It was an implicit criticism of the Crucible, but they are just too scared to say it.

I don’t think this logic really follows.

Players have also been praising the Shoot Out atmosphere for the last two days. Is that also a veiled criticism of the Crucible?

Re: Robbo disses The Crucible again

Postby Andre147

I think some players don't like when it's the 2 table setup because it's too cramped. I've heard John Higgins himself say it's too small and once it goes down to 1 table then it's the best venue in the world. But Higgins, unlike Robbo, gets on with it, hence being 4 times champ, plus 4 other finals.

MJW too once got fined for saying on Twitter it was a rubbish venue but when it went down to 1 table it's one of the best ever for him. But they adapt, and that's what Robbo has to do.

Re: Robbo disses The Crucible again

Postby Dragonfly

It's certainly bizarre that a player of Robertson's standard could well end up with one world title. Not only that but to not even come close to another.

He has wonderful technique and tons of bottle. Regardless of how he feels about the venue surely he's bound to have a couple of good runs at the Crucible again and at least come close. I feel he would take some stopping if he can just get to the one table set up.

Then again I think that every year and he fails again. He really does need another to secure his place amongst the all time greats.