Who is the best snooker player ever?

It got me thinking a bit how talented Ronnie O'Sullivan must be when he wasn't arsed enough to go for a 147 the other day because the prize money for it was too small at £10,000.

Anybody else would love to get a maximum but its something Ronnie is capable of doing at any time that he can afford to turn his nose up at doing one if he chooses.

I'm old enough to remember the great Joe Davies but to young to have seen him play although I did see his wonderful brother Fred compete.

I've seen them all since.

I've been in the company of world champions John Spencer and Terry Griffiths, I've endured players like Cliff Thorburn and the monotonous Steve Davies. Did not feel the excitement with Stephen Hendry when he won but did with Jimmy White - although he lost!

Alex Higgins is probably the players player but for me O'Sullivan is the best.

He's flawed and troubled, his personal life is not the best - his dad was/is in jail - but he can play snooker like no one else can.

Anybody disagree, if so who do you thing is the best player ever?

He is ambidextrous with his cue as well!

I think he is the only player to be able to play with both hands?

Bill Werbeniuck

Remember Eddie Charlton? He could put a glass eye to sleep.

I completely lost touch with snooker when I left the country but Jimmy White and Tony Knowles were always favorites of mine back in the day. A few mates and I used to play at John Spencer's snooker hall.

karlypants wrote:He is ambidextrous with his cue as well!

I think he is the only player to be able to play with both hands?

Jimmy White could play with both hands.

I've always found two hands to be essential.

boltonbonce wrote:I've always found two hands to be essential.

Especially to somebody as accident prone as you.

Stephen Henry used to be a good player, but Ronnie is a great player.

Ronnie, I remember him teaching Henry a lesson of how to get comfortable on his chair.

Fabians Right Peg wrote:Bill Werbeniuck

 it has to be Big Bill, who else could play at such a high level after drinking 10 pints per session 

finlaymcdanger wrote:I completely lost touch with snooker when I left the country but Jimmy White and Tony Knowles were always favorites of mine back in the day. A few mates and I used to play at John Spencer's snooker hall.

 i used to go to the Rileys on Brownlow Way precinct many years ago, happy days

Not many snooker players get a suite named after them down at the Phoenix Club do they?


I rest my case.

(Knowlsey, why don't you get together with a few of your wealthy cue-wielding mates and step up to the table with a cheeky last-minute bid for the club? Your mate Reidy can get on board as well if he wants to.)

Fabians Right Peg wrote:Bill Werbeniuck

I met Bill Burpn'puke once when he did a snooker exhibition at a pub called the Little B in Sale. He used to have a camper van and sleep in the pub car park overnight so he wouldn't get done for drink driving. He couldn't half shift some ale. RIP.

I was brought up on Ray Reardon, John Spencer, Eddie Charlton, Rex Williams and Perrie Mans but they were never as flamboyant as Alex Higgins or Jimmy White.
Jimmy White was probably the greatest player never to win the World Championship but Ronnie O' Sullivan has to be the most talented snooker player ever. He is the George Best of snooker. A flawed genius in the same mould as Higgins.

Reebok Trotter wrote:I was brought up on Ray Reardon, John Spencer, Eddie Charlton, Rex Williams and Perrie Mans but they were never as flamboyant as Alex Higgins or Jimmy White.
Jimmy White was probably the greatest player never to win the World Championship but Ronnie O' Sullivan has to be the most talented snooker player ever. He is the George Best of snooker. A flawed genius in the same mould as Higgins.

The difference between O'sullivan and Higgins,is technique.
For all his flamboyance,the O'sullivan technique is flawless. He does everything right.
Higgins was all over the place,moving on the shot,twitching,you name it. He was a genius depite his technique,not because of it,which is why I'll always rank him higher than O'sullivan.

Norpig wrote:

Fabians Right Peg wrote:Bill Werbeniuck

 it has to be Big Bill, who else could play at such a high level after drinking 10 pints per session 

 I read a piece on from his obituary:

"While playing in the 1980 World Team Cup challenge, Werbeniuk's weight was so substantial that he managed to split his trousers, live on BBC television. On another occasion, he literally drank the Scottish professional Eddie Sinclair under the snooker table by consuming 42 pints. At one stage, the inland revenue allowed his spending on lager as a tax deductible expense."

Think he was quoted after drinking the 42 pints as saying "I'm off to the bar for a proper drink"

Most people don't realise the drinking was partly to deal with the yips, hence why I think it was tax deductible?

You couldn't make it up.

The Canadians had a good snooker squad in the seventies and eighties. Apart from Big Bill they had Cliff ' The Grinder ' Thorburn and Kirk ' Cokehead ' Stevens and when Stevens went off the rails, Jim Wych took his spot.

The worst games ever to watch was when the 'Grinder' came up against ' Interesting.'  An insomniacs wet dream.

Reebok Trotter wrote:The Canadians had a good snooker squad in the seventies and eighties. Apart from Big Bill they had Cliff ' The Grinder ' Thorburn and Kirk ' Cokehead ' Stevens and when Stevens went off the rails, Jim Wych took his spot.

The worst games ever to watch was when the 'Grinder' came up against ' Interesting.'  An insomniacs wet dream.

Or even worse Terry Griffiths.

boltonbonce wrote:I've always found two hands to be essential.

Is that when taking prostate cancer prevention exercises?