Holden Chinaski wrote:Wildey wrote:Who cares about the next Ronnie each and every player has their own qualities and something that they bring to the table a tour full of Ronnie clones will be just as Boring as a tour full of Rory McLeod When Ronnie hangs up his cue nobody will really care because like all great champions of the past it was a moment in history and we will move on with new younger players to greater heights its called evolution.
Personally i think its the Fault of Ronnie and Hendry why young players dont come through any more. Everyone wants to attack balls and make breaks in one visit well trying to copy those two players is a recipe for disaster. Id prefer Young Players to look at someone like Mark Selby that works hard and gets the most out of his ability Just like the previous generations did with Steve Davis or Ray Reardon.
In the Reardon days, most young players wanted to play like Alex Higgins. In the Davis days most young players wanted to play like Jimmy White.
Without Alex Higgins and Jimmy White snooker would not be were it is now. And without Ronnie snooker would have a hard time finding sponsors.
I also find it funny how you seem to think Ronnie is just a natural talent who doesn't work hard. Ronnie has worked very hard and disciplined at his game from a very young age. He is one of the hardest workers in thegame ever. When he was young all he did was practice and study Steve Davis and Hendry. He trained himself to be a good left handed player by playing everything left handed in practice. He worked with Ray Reardon on his safety game and now he works with Steve Peters on the mental side of it. On top of that he keeps himself fit. Hardest worker in the game if you ask me. Why do you think he's still playing great at 38 years old? It's not natural talent, look at Jimmy White, its hard work.
Selby is a brilliant player, and young people could learn a lot from him. But do you know who Selby looked up to as a kid? Do you know who Selby's hero was when he was a young lad dreaming of a snooker career? Was it Reardon or Davis? No, it was Ronnie O'Sullivan!
Very good post Holden, my thoughts exactly
Ronnie was born to play snooker there isn't much doubt about that, but as you say he did and does have to work very very hard to achieve that level he's currently at and between all those years as a pro. Davi's was definately Ronnie's first role model he looked up to, in his documentary he gave at ITV a year ago he said he copied Steve in everything he did, he used to watch his matches and even recorded them on the good old VHS tapes to learn and copy how Steve moved around the table, his procedures in lining up to the shot, shot selection, etc. He said when he started as a pro he even copied Steve on the waistcoats he used to wear, it definately an obcession, like Ronnie himself said, to try and emulate Steve in everything he did.
And yeah definately agree that without these 3 great of the game and pure crowd pleasers and entertainers in Alex, Jimmy and Ronnie Snooker definately wouldnt be what it is today.
Alex, although he too had a terrific safety game, was the very first attacking player along with his flair and manners on and off the table, before Alex everything was more based on safety play, Alex like I said was the first attacking player that brought the attacking side to the game.
And I just laugh (and Alex's daughter too for that matter in a BBC doc about a year ago on her dad) when they, especially Rob Walker say that Judd plays "naughty snooker"
by sahgalvishesh » 07 May 2014 Read
