Over the last couple of years: Selby had a burnout, Higgins did, Mark Allen too, Robertson did, Ali Carter too, Gary Wilson struggled, Shaun Murphy too.........maybe there is something to it....
You can maintain your top 16 ranking by playing only the 10 biggest events, as long as you do well. Rankings aren't for life. Why should snooker protect the rankings of players just because they're "big players"? Snooker should be a meritocracy: the better you do in ranking tournaments, the higher your ranking becomes.
I know this is old, but i lost so much respect for Steve Davis here. He is so far in the management pocket, completely dismissing the clear points Ronnie was making. Ronnie was 100% right, the TOP players should NOT have to GRIND every tournament to qualify or be ranked on how many events they turn up for. You gotta feel for him, no one listens because it's "Ronnie being Ronnie"
It's sometimes tough to deal with Ronnie's criticism. If he has a "bad day at the office", he will complain about the smell in the hall. I wouldn't take everything he says 100% serious. He's a moody guy. Let's just say I would want to have him in any position where something is decided in the sport. He's definitely the wrong person for that. He's a great Snooker player, probably the best ever, but absolutely in the wrong place when it comes to decision making in the sport.
The top players also shouldn't have to be given incentives or spoon-fed because of reputation either. The game is more lucrative now, so it's give and take. Ronnie is spot on at times, but sometimes he fails to understand that players who aren't at his level, simply want an open playing field. He looks at things from only his perspective, and doesn't have a business sense for snooker.
If you do the math it's not even good. most people work 5 days a week, 52 weeks in an year. That means on average a person works 260 days an year, Now you look a top snooker player who plays in 30 events and on average events take 10 days. that's 300 days per year, and that might be on the low end and could be more. I feel for Ronnie, he has learnt there is more to life than just grinding over the last few years and he is torn by what he loves and wanting a life. The way Barry talks is very commercial and I know why they do it that way, it makes money.
Barry Hearn isn't the most sympathetic of blokes, but he's so pragmatic and I'm pretty impressed by the way he's reformed the game. You can enter an open tournament for just £100, and potentially win and gain a foothold in the snooker rankings.
@@kelvinbloomfield1375 That's a daft way to look at things. Equally, you could say Ronnie O'Sullivan only made it because of his dad forcing him to play snooker from an early age then buying him a table. Every one of us are only here at all because of our parents, we're all only doing whatever we do because of other people and happenstance when younger.
sounds like ronnie wants it kinda streamlining, in fact most of the top players might actually agree with him, cos most of 'em look worn out some of the time
Davis is the ultimate yes man. He’s there to be the mouthpiece for Barry Hearn. Ronnie is breath of fresh air and calls out the bs without a veneer of political correctness. What he’s saying makes perfect sense. At the moment it’s rewarding endurance rather than the best players. Instead of embracing what he’s saying, there’s an air of “oh trouble maker Ronnie is at it again”
Bang on. Barry is a greedy b*stard. He just want to sell as much as he can before he retires or dies. He knows this. Nobody wants to watch the 92 players that spend all their matches doing what the best players in the club can do. Who buys a ticket to that? They want to watch 14 absolute stars and 2 flat out geniuses. The skill in sports promotion is finding a way for the top players to be happy to support the youth that are coming up to eat their lunch. Barry knows this; he also knows he can’t do it. He really doesn’t have the skill. He just needs survive long enough to cash out. Fair play I suppose. He gave us enough, but it was never like he was a genius.
Stop sucking Ronnie off he's talking nonsense. This is like Man city saying they don't want to bother playing smaller teams because they know they're going to win.
I think he can be a nob but honestly Ronnie puts his view across well and it's hard to really disagree. Steve Davies does a pretty poor job of providing genuine counter arguments and just resorts to exasperated moaning. Ronnie's point about having to grind through tournaments seems valid. You want yr top guys able to be st the top of their game
yeah, but can they really be on top of the game when they don't even have to qualify? Just give them the trophy already, if they don't even have to prove their right to be there. Anyone can have a bad day, and I think this is part of it, Ronnie doesn't want to be kicked out early by some new guy who has his best day.
This is dead interesting. Ultimately its about balance. I see both sides of the argument but I can't watch hearn's face talking about being passionate for the sport and thinking all he really gives a shit about is money in his pocket for a thousandth of the effort of a pro snooker player. He's a charismatic salesman that loves money. That's the end of it.
@@janetli6086 They don't want more money. They want to be able to take a week off when they come from 3000 miles away without that taxing their world ranking.
Ronnie is right The top players are playing a extra week if not more than people going out early, playing 100 extra frames if not alot more, it's common sense the guys going out early can be in China 2 days later and prepare for a tournament there. If your in a semi final or final every tournament that requires more energy being used, less time before starting your next tournament, less preparation it's simple really
Yip....he like what on earth is he going on about....his average tour score in a certain amount of events isn’t a bad idea though. A bit like F1 years ago where they took their best 11 race results out of 16
Hearn is also wrong about not rewarding the top players by not giving them early byes. The problem with his position is that the better players play more matches and deeper in tournaments and that is tougher on them mentally.
Steve Davis insinuating it's "about a few quid" is simply pathetic. Ronnie doesn't need or care about the money at this point. He could do anything he wants and earn millions just because of who he is. Ronnie's complaint is based on the fact that playing snooker is not like playing darts, where you can play 10 matches a day. What Ronnie says makes sense. Imo, have divisions. Right now there's only two types of snooker players: on tour and not on tour. That divide doesn't work in snooker. Sure, you can have a couple of tournaments where everybody competes against everybody like it happens in the FA cup in football. But there should be smaller divisions of players based on their level. And, each year after the season, players get promoted or relegated based on their results. And comments like the ones on this video coming from a player who is gifted a tour card...
A snooker Premier league would be pretty cool. It could replace the world championship as the pinnacle of snooker. The top division could be 16 players who play each other twice in a season.
"Imo, have divisions." We already have three divisions: top 16, rest of the main tour, and the amateur tour(s). The top 16 are seeded for most tournaments *and* get to participate in invitational tournaments like The Masters. It's a massive advantage that protects the top 16 and seriously disadvantages the 96 players below them. The top 16 take the lion's share of prize money, and once you're in it, you can use your seeding advantage to keep earning more ranking points and solidify your position. It's very hard to break into the top 16. If anything, snooker protects the top 16 too much. I suspect the structure will change once Ronnie retires; I suspect the top 16 still only have that protection because Ronnie would quit the sport if he had to graft in minor tournaments.
@@nomchompsky3012 The invitational tournaments are meant to be the best competitions in snooker. Hence why they’re meant to be “The Masters” and not “Anybody who walks in the door because why not, let’s give them a chance”
Barry Hearne saying Ronnie should shut up because he doesn’t give Barry’s organization the sponsorship profit. That’s a joke. The talent is the only draw. Nobody on earth cares who sanctioned a match between Shelby and Williams. They only care about the result. The public want to see the best talent.
Ken Doherty has never liked Ronnie so you’ll never hear him being nice about Ron. Steve Davis is Hearns best mate so will agree with everything he does because he’s on the matchroom payroll. Other players don’t particularly like Ronnie purely because they are jealous of his genius and success. The likes of Doherty ain’t fit to lace up Ronnie’s shoes
Let's deal with the first point. Stephen Hendry, Joe Perry, Shaun Murphy, Ronnie O Sullivan & Ken Doherty, all went out for a curry at 400 Celsius last week in Sheffield. Ronnie was sat next to Ken, and they were all raising a glass of wine to someone's phone camera with big smiles and grins on their faces. There was certainly lots of giggling and merriment coming from the table, with Ken and Ronnie talking to each other quite a lot. Apart from the fact that they were sitting next to each other, they certainly looked like they were having a laugh, so I don't think there's that much animosity towards each other. None that I could see anyway. Lots of players, and most of the press crew, and BBC crew, go to 400s every year, as it's the best Indian in Sheffield, if not the whole of Yorkshire. The food is out of this world. As for Ken not being fit to tie up ronnies shoelaces, let's not forget that a couple of years ago Ken Doherty almost beat Ronnie O'Sullivan in a best of 17 - with Ronnie only just making it back to level the scores, before Ronnie won in a very narrow victory. Ken was 56 in the World, and very nearly beat Ronnie. So he's not exactly a crap snooker player. Ok, so he's dropping down the rankings to 85 at the moment, but not bad for a man in his 50s who became semi-retired in 2009. After lifting the world title, Ken featured in two more world finals, 3 UK championship finals, and 2 Masters finals. He has also won multiple ranking tournaments, and reached number 2 in the world in 2006, just three years before he semi-retired. That's more than Steve Davis managed to do when he was the same age. And let's not forget, the year that Ken Doherty lifted the World Crown in 1997, when Ronnie delivered the fastest Maxi, Ronnie had been a professional for 5 years. So hardly a novice. Even so, he didn't even make it past Darren Morgan in the 2nd round in '97. Ken turned professional two years before Ronnie, and won the world championship inside 7 years. It took Ronnie 9 years. Ken is the 1st, and only, player to win the World Championship at junior level, amateur level and professional. Doherty beat Hendry in the '97 final, when Hendry was at the very top of his powers. So as for being fit enough to do up Ronnie's shoe laces, I think perhaps, he is. And in case you're wondering whether I am a massive Ken fanboy, I'm not, I'm just being honest, and a realist. I am in fact, the complete antithetical diemetric. I am actually one of Ronnie O'Sullivan's biggest fans, and follow his every shot, in every tournament. I was in Sheffield last month to watch him play. I am a huge admirer and supporter of his, following Ronnie to a number of events, but especially the Masters and the World's, and had tickets to every session up to the semi-final. I couldn't get tickets to see Ronnie in the final, as the tickets were sold out.
Interesting one this, as an avid snooker fan ive watched this video a few times, even live at the time, trying to watch it objectively (as a huge Ronnie fan) but still feel the exact same way... It still annoys me how Davis reacts and actually says "why not retire" ... Ronnie is merely expressing his honest feelings on why any serious player should have to commit to donkey-travelling tourney to tourney to collect important ranking points... The counter argument is well there's more tournaments hence more money and more opportunities for the lower ranked players... there's one flaw in this at least... money, it costs money for each player to travel, you wouldnt believe how well a seasoned player would have to do to break even over a full season. I've heard Michael Holt say he just about broke even and he was number 40ish in the world at that time, its ludicrous... Personally I think tournaments should be available all year round as its healthy for the players, advertisetment and the sport BUT the ranking points goes on say your best so many tournaments... A well thought out compromised ranking points plan would benefit all. I respect what Barry Hearn has done for snooker but let's be honest he's a numbers man, not a snooker man.
Agreed with everything on the whole man but to say Barry Hearn isn't a snooker man is absolutely ludicrous, he's been involved in snooker for 40yrs and runs the whole ship now..as an avid snooker fan myself I have no shame in admitting Barry has forgotten more than I'll ever know..I get the point you're trying to make, of course he's a numbers man the players have to get paid and a profit has to made, simple
Spoiled snooker players moaning about playing snooker. They should go out to a building site on cold frosty monday morning. That would give them something to mean about.
Ye but these top players want everything done for them. Aren't most of them sponsor. If they don't like it why don't they get a job on a building site. See how they'd like turning up on a cold frosty Monday morning.
If you were a fan you'd be as angry as Steve Davis was. Ronnie's changes would benefit the top 8 and screw over the remaining top 120. The purpose of the tour isn't to guarantee the same 8 players win every tournament and scoop up all the prize money. This interview was in 2018. It's now 2022 and Ronnie's now World #1 doing exactly what Ken told him to do - Ronnie picked and chose his tournaments and doesn't complain about the tour. He owns Ken and Steve an apology.
Ronnie's top 10 tournaments make the rankings make sense for the players. (But Certain tournaments would inevitably shrink in stature without the top players there.)
Steve Davis is pulling faces like he’s sitting on the rough end of a pineapple and then at 21.13 into the interview he ends up saying he agrees with Ronnie’s idea. Stay retired Steve and stop sucking up to the brass. When the best player to have ever picked up a cue says there is something wrong in the game then people should listen! I’m not saying Ronnie is right in everything he says but the game did need changing. I hope he wins his 7th world title because he has every other record in the game.
Mark Allen's comment about athletes is an interesting one, I like his straight talking, pretty good player too. Hearn makes a lot of good points, its hard to fault some of the points he made whether you like him or not.
No, Hearns doesn't. Ronnie is right. An average player that goes to almost all events and never goes that deep might earn more points than a better player who only goes to around 40 % of the events and runs deep.
Name one of his "good points". Everything he said was twisting other people's word or straight up lying. Cause he's a greedy disrespectful sad old man.
Ronnie isn’t the greatest at making his point well, but it’s obvious what he means. If you’ve spent years building a profile, and paying your dues, and you’re still able to smash at a few tournaments, you shouldn’t need to be made to feel like you still need to be a workhorse to get in the best competitions. The masters takes the top 16, but to be in the top 16, it’s get deep into everything, or play mediocre in everything. Mediocre players should not be the top 16.
"you shouldn’t need to be made to feel like you still need to be a workhorse to get in the best competitions." You can maintain your top 16 ranking just by entering the UK-based tournaments (World Championship, UK, the four Home Nations opens, World Grand Prix, Players Championship and Shoot Out) and maybe going to the China Open. That being said, modern players should have to travel around the world; snooker is an international sport. Imagine if Federer complained about having to play tennis tournaments outside Europe. The best thing Hearn did was take control of the snooker tour away from the top 16 players, who used to run it like a cartel. That's why there were only 9 ranking tournaments for the whole season, 6 of which were in the UK. The elite players liked it that way, because it minimised overseas travel which took them away from their families. The game's in much better health today than it was 20 years ago, thanks to Hearn's reforms.
@@seanfagan6727 I didn’t say he wasn’t clear. I said he never made his point well. He speaks his mind, and some would argue he’s earned that right. But he doesn’t say his piece very diplomatically.
Ronnie's right- rankings should be based on an average of the top 10 tournaments. It's a no-brainer unless you're Hearn and you want to milk the top talent in the smaller tournaments of the tour.
Yep. Its set up so that it forces the top 16 to compete in the smaller tournaments for promotion purposes but also provides an ( perhaps unfair ) opportunity for the newcomers to rank higher due to these tournaments not being suited for the long established players that are more easier burn't out having to compete in so many at a later maturity lets say.. And Steve here is right up the arse of Hearn talking nonsense as expected. Haha
The reason snooker was in such a mess in the first place is because there were only 9 ranking tournaments, and that suited the cabal of elite players just fine. The game is for the 128, not the top 16. The top 16 used to basically run the sport they were competing in! Madness.
Milking the top players it what pays for prize money though. Ronnies system only works if you don't need to make any money. Ronnie wants to have his cake and eat it too, you can't expect to get paid to what you want all the time. Ronnies system wouldnt generate enough money to be feasible. Like Barry said when the players had control there was no money in snooker because the players didn't want any tournaments. All the money in snooker comes from China.
@@DadschairwisdomIf the top players weren't forced to play small tournaments there wouldn't be enough prize money. Like Barry said if you had it Ronnies way you'd just have 6 or 7 tournaments, reducing the money in snooker massively. Then the prize money for the world's, masters etc would be quartered too. Ronnie wants a new system because he doesn't make his living from snooker so hes not worried if everyone else has to start working part time to cover expenses.
This may ruffle some feathers but for my two peneth,, I'd suggest that the greatest problem is the standard of the game, if the up and coming players were playing their a game week to week, players like Ronnie, Selby etc etc would have been out played and maybe looking towards retirement rather than keep turning up only to be knocked out at most tournaments in the early rounds. The top 16 is mainly filled with players that have been around for decades, surely this is where the issue of too many tournaments for some of the top players lay.
It won’t ruffle any feathers because anyone would assume you’re mentally disabled. Most will probably think awww how cute, look, he’s put a paragraph together and everything 🤣😂
You can tell he's a liberal. They can't help but express discomfort when they disagree with something you say. I don't really like what Steve says but you won't find me squishing my face up at him when he speaks because I'm tolerant of others.
16:07 Davis: "we cant speak for the other 127 players" 2:25 Also Davis: "the other 127 players on the tour who I would imagine, more of them than not, would be disagreeing with what he says"
It's fine for ROS to advocate exhibition play from rookies, although they haven't got the money to play open and flash like ROS (coming from a ROS fan)
There's no doubt in my mind. This bloke is the greatest of all time, and he will get the eighth crucible. Then I think he will stick his middle fingers up to the Herne family and walk away. And then nobody will be watching Snooker again, and the only people to blame Will be Barry Herne and his Empire yet again.
We base the format on golf that’s fine but when a snooker player wins a okay average tournement might get a pay off of 50,000 abroad and that’s not bad but golf gets a winner and they get 1.2million and spent right and put into the right channels can keep you going for life
Ronnie is spot on The circuit is great right now but THE PLAYERS should have a points system like golf does to choose to enter the events the want to enter. It's then on the player to gain enough points to make the major events
This is how it works now though. Ronnie isn't forced to okay tournaments . Like ken said you can get plenty of ranking points just playing the major tournaments, no one's forcing Ronnie to play smaller tournaments.
Surprised at Davis here. You only have to go back to Ronnie's first 147 at 21 years old, where he didn't slow down for a second on the way to a 5 minute maximum when there was $147K on the line, to know that money was NEVER a factor for him.
26:22 Just for this comment, Barry Hearn should have gotten a beating. The disrespect towards the players is unacceptable. His position doesn't even make sense cause he doesn't apply it consistently in all the sports he has power in. And he can say that snooker is at its highest point ever but it's not true, it's dying and it's dying cause the good players are fed up. Every answer Barry gives is just full of lies and manipulations cause he only cares about his pockets. For example, he completely flips what Mark Williams says, which ensures that professionals earn something, gives more money to the Challenge tour and would allow top players to at least have a day or two to rest in between tournaments. He goes and flips that into an accusation of selfishness when Barry is an egomaniac who has enriched himself by exploting young players and making corrupt deals with corrupt institutions within corrupt governments.
Steve with the baffled look on his face as Ronnie continually contradicts himself lol, nowadays Ron says he likes travelling to tournaments, road trip’s 😂
Years later 2024 ronnie o o'sullivan ranked no1 snooker player and wins his 8 masters , and becomes the oldest winner in all 3 triple crowns , snooker is ronnie !
Ronnie's actually saying he'd like the Federer (edit: Federer/Djokovic/Nadal/Williams) treatment and rather not play the below 16/32/64 players. That's BS. "There are so many tournaments now, I really have to go to each one?" - YES. My counter to that is that Tennis wishes it had so many tournaments, and because it doesn't fans see the same handful of players fighting for the title. I don't want that. I want great performances, because my favorites including Ronnie hasn't always been in the top 16. I'm 100% with Barry on this. More money on the line = excitement for everyone involved in the sport. Favoritism would make the sport duller, like Tennis or Golf like Ronnie mentions. If you want to play less Snooker Ronnie, have an easier schedule, play fewer non-ranking events then. You have about as many ranking event wins as non-ranking. Tweak that...
Barry is spot on. If top players not in qualification stages, no tv exposure follows, and tournaments shut down. Getting old is natural,... ronnie has had a great career, needs to stop moaning or retire. The sport itself is bigger than any player, and the youth coming through has to be financially rewarded and attracted to the game as a potential career. As Barry states, take a week off Ronnie, you are not FORCED to play events.
I think what barry is forgetting here, that he disregards the players, as he says "it's not about the players, it's about the money. Who does he think brings in the viewers? I'm not watching snooker for the management or the PR, and you can't make money without the players.
at this moment in time if ronnie walks from the game it will crash and burn .we willl no longer be a world leader in the game it will end up being played mostly in asia
Bollocks, you seriously think the whole tour rests on Ronnie's shoulders? If Ronnie stops then it will be mostly played in Asia,where do you get that from? Yes Ronnie is great to watch and the best ever to play the game but there are over 100 players,snooker was big before Ronnie and it will survive when Ronnie retires,the future of the game does not revolve around Ronnie
As strange or disagreeable as Ronnies comments are, I'm surprised by Davis in this and observing just how rude he is. Despite being at odds with Ronnie as he doesn't half talk some s##te, there was no need for that. The face pulling was just absurd never mind disrespectful and you're coming down to his standards. As much as 'some' of what Ron said and suggested here raises an interesting take, especially for the top players who go far, once again he himself disrespects the grass roots side of the game and spares little if no consideration for others at the opposite side of the sport. Selfish as always. On both parts therefore the whole thing is cringeworthy. Davis needs to take his cue out of Hearns arse ffs. Ronnie you're best just sticking to what you do best and cutting out the verbal dihorrea 🙄
This has aged so well, especially for ROS Fans. Like this comment if you're watching in May '22 and Ronnie is already 7 times world champion.
Over the last couple of years: Selby had a burnout, Higgins did, Mark Allen too, Robertson did, Ali Carter too, Gary Wilson struggled, Shaun Murphy too.........maybe there is something to it....
Higgins even tried to make extra by agreeing to throw games
Mark allen burn 🔥 out? What the f##k has he done for snooker??
You can maintain your top 16 ranking by playing only the 10 biggest events, as long as you do well. Rankings aren't for life. Why should snooker protect the rankings of players just because they're "big players"? Snooker should be a meritocracy: the better you do in ranking tournaments, the higher your ranking becomes.
Great point
Maybe the fact they are old?????? 😂😂🤦♂️there’s a reason they are doing it to make new champions
I know this is old, but i lost so much respect for Steve Davis here.
He is so far in the management pocket, completely dismissing the clear points Ronnie was making.
Ronnie was 100% right, the TOP players should NOT have to GRIND every tournament to qualify or be ranked on how many events they turn up for.
You gotta feel for him, no one listens because it's "Ronnie being Ronnie"
yeah me too mate, constantly pulling faces like an infant whilst others are talking too
Barry hearns rent boy
It's sometimes tough to deal with Ronnie's criticism. If he has a "bad day at the office", he will complain about the smell in the hall. I wouldn't take everything he says 100% serious. He's a moody guy. Let's just say I would want to have him in any position where something is decided in the sport. He's definitely the wrong person for that. He's a great Snooker player, probably the best ever, but absolutely in the wrong place when it comes to decision making in the sport.
The top players also shouldn't have to be given incentives or spoon-fed because of reputation either. The game is more lucrative now, so it's give and take. Ronnie is spot on at times, but sometimes he fails to understand that players who aren't at his level, simply want an open playing field. He looks at things from only his perspective, and doesn't have a business sense for snooker.
If you do the math it's not even good. most people work 5 days a week, 52 weeks in an year. That means on average a person works 260 days an year, Now you look a top snooker player who plays in 30 events and on average events take 10 days. that's 300 days per year, and that might be on the low end and could be more. I feel for Ronnie, he has learnt there is more to life than just grinding over the last few years and he is torn by what he loves and wanting a life. The way Barry talks is very commercial and I know why they do it that way, it makes money.
34:07 Barry, as a businesswoman what's your opinion? What a fantastic slip of the tongue 🤣🤣🤣
If Ronnie doesn’t play, no one watches snooker. For gods sake protect this man at all costs
but then what do you do when he retires?
@@jamescarmichael8969 I’m dreading the day.
Ronnie is the greatest, Barry is fantastic, the GIANTS, clash, lovely theater, respect both of them immensely.
When Ronnie said ‘Steve you’re being silly’😂😂
34:07 love how she calls Barry a ‘business WOMAN’ 😂
🤣
Barry Hearn isn't the most sympathetic of blokes, but he's so pragmatic and I'm pretty impressed by the way he's reformed the game. You can enter an open tournament for just £100, and potentially win and gain a foothold in the snooker rankings.
Agree, that's great.
barry hearn only made it because of steve davis . or would be nothing
@@kelvinbloomfield1375 That's a daft way to look at things. Equally, you could say Ronnie O'Sullivan only made it because of his dad forcing him to play snooker from an early age then buying him a table. Every one of us are only here at all because of our parents, we're all only doing whatever we do because of other people and happenstance when younger.
sounds like ronnie wants it kinda streamlining, in fact most of the top players might actually agree with him, cos most of 'em look worn out some of the time
Davis is the ultimate yes man. He’s there to be the mouthpiece for Barry Hearn. Ronnie is breath of fresh air and calls out the bs without a veneer of political correctness. What he’s saying makes perfect sense. At the moment it’s rewarding endurance rather than the best players. Instead of embracing what he’s saying, there’s an air of “oh trouble maker Ronnie is at it again”
winding me up keep shaking his ginger head
Barry Hearn was Davis' manager so yeah, Davis would agree with him.
Bang on.
Barry is a greedy b*stard. He just want to sell as much as he can before he retires or dies.
He knows this.
Nobody wants to watch the 92 players that spend all their matches doing what the best players in the club can do.
Who buys a ticket to that?
They want to watch 14 absolute stars and 2 flat out geniuses.
The skill in sports promotion is finding a way for the top players to be happy to support the youth that are coming up to eat their lunch.
Barry knows this; he also knows he can’t do it. He really doesn’t have the skill. He just needs survive long enough to cash out.
Fair play I suppose. He gave us enough, but it was never like he was a genius.
Stop sucking Ronnie off he's talking nonsense. This is like Man city saying they don't want to bother playing smaller teams because they know they're going to win.
Yearns puppet,Davis making faces like a fool
I think he can be a nob but honestly Ronnie puts his view across well and it's hard to really disagree. Steve Davies does a pretty poor job of providing genuine counter arguments and just resorts to exasperated moaning. Ronnie's point about having to grind through tournaments seems valid. You want yr top guys able to be st the top of their game
steve davis is thicker than a snooker table top . 80.s a thatcherite 2022 a hearnrite ,pure nob
yeah, but can they really be on top of the game when they don't even have to qualify? Just give them the trophy already, if they don't even have to prove their right to be there. Anyone can have a bad day, and I think this is part of it, Ronnie doesn't want to be kicked out early by some new guy who has his best day.
Class from Ronnie winding Davis up😂😂
Barry is one hell of a businessman
Businesswoman according to Hazel :)
@@efy5aru when say that
@@efy5aru mistake maybe jeez interesting how u picked do u women have rights ur part
This is dead interesting. Ultimately its about balance. I see both sides of the argument but I can't watch hearn's face talking about being passionate for the sport and thinking all he really gives a shit about is money in his pocket for a thousandth of the effort of a pro snooker player. He's a charismatic salesman that loves money. That's the end of it.
Hearn's commercial value MONEY MONEY MONEY Doesn't care if the players get burnt out. He wants money every week and sod the players
They don’t have to get burnt out, take a week off! What the top 8 want is they can work less but get more money by just the reputation!
@@janetli6086 They don't want more money. They want to be able to take a week off when they come from 3000 miles away without that taxing their world ranking.
Ronnie is right
The top players are playing a extra week if not more than people going out early, playing 100 extra frames if not alot more, it's common sense the guys going out early can be in China 2 days later and prepare for a tournament there. If your in a semi final or final every tournament that requires more energy being used, less time before starting your next tournament, less preparation it's simple really
They each have valid points… it sounds like a good starting point for conversation.
Steve Davis' face 😂
Yip....he like what on earth is he going on about....his average tour score in a certain amount of events isn’t a bad idea though. A bit like F1 years ago where they took their best 11 race results out of 16
Hes confused because his tongues not up Barry Hearns ass
@@user-mf9nc2vk1t you mean it is?
His face tells the whole story "shut the fuck up moaning and get on with it ronnie " is what he is thinking
Lol Davis facial expressions are brilliant.
lol , hes trying to understand ronnie but he couldnt
Barry Hearn definitely wanted a ESL
"Play a shot and go for a wander" ...🤣🤣🤣
Hearn is also wrong about not rewarding the top players by not giving them early byes. The problem with his position is that the better players play more matches and deeper in tournaments and that is tougher on them mentally.
Steve Davis insinuating it's "about a few quid" is simply pathetic. Ronnie doesn't need or care about the money at this point. He could do anything he wants and earn millions just because of who he is. Ronnie's complaint is based on the fact that playing snooker is not like playing darts, where you can play 10 matches a day.
What Ronnie says makes sense.
Imo, have divisions. Right now there's only two types of snooker players: on tour and not on tour. That divide doesn't work in snooker. Sure, you can have a couple of tournaments where everybody competes against everybody like it happens in the FA cup in football. But there should be smaller divisions of players based on their level. And, each year after the season, players get promoted or relegated based on their results.
And comments like the ones on this video coming from a player who is gifted a tour card...
A snooker Premier league would be pretty cool. It could replace the world championship as the pinnacle of snooker. The top division could be 16 players who play each other twice in a season.
"Imo, have divisions." We already have three divisions: top 16, rest of the main tour, and the amateur tour(s). The top 16 are seeded for most tournaments *and* get to participate in invitational tournaments like The Masters. It's a massive advantage that protects the top 16 and seriously disadvantages the 96 players below them. The top 16 take the lion's share of prize money, and once you're in it, you can use your seeding advantage to keep earning more ranking points and solidify your position. It's very hard to break into the top 16.
If anything, snooker protects the top 16 too much. I suspect the structure will change once Ronnie retires; I suspect the top 16 still only have that protection because Ronnie would quit the sport if he had to graft in minor tournaments.
@@nomchompsky3012 The invitational tournaments are meant to be the best competitions in snooker.
Hence why they’re meant to be “The Masters” and not “Anybody who walks in the door because why not, let’s give them a chance”
34:09 Hazel calls Barry Hearn a Businesswomen💀😭
Barry Hearne saying Ronnie should shut up because he doesn’t give Barry’s organization the sponsorship profit. That’s a joke.
The talent is the only draw.
Nobody on earth cares who sanctioned a match between Shelby and Williams. They only care about the result.
The public want to see the best talent.
Hazel refers to Barry as a BUSINESSWOMAN 🤣 34:08
LOL had to play that back!!! How odd LOL
So...? Did you just asume Barry's gender? Maybe he identifies as a woman. He's got that right...😂😂
Ken Doherty has never liked Ronnie so you’ll never hear him being nice about Ron. Steve Davis is Hearns best mate so will agree with everything he does because he’s on the matchroom payroll. Other players don’t particularly like Ronnie purely because they are jealous of his genius and success. The likes of Doherty ain’t fit to lace up Ronnie’s shoes
How do you know Ken has never liked Ronnie?
@@robovac3557 i don’t know for sure because I don’t know them personally but for years I’ve listened to Ken speak negatively about Ron
Irish Masters 1998?? Ronnie being stripped of his title when he played Ken in the final
What are you talking about? He always gives credit where it's due no matter what player he talks about.
Let's deal with the first point. Stephen Hendry, Joe Perry, Shaun Murphy, Ronnie O Sullivan & Ken Doherty, all went out for a curry at 400 Celsius last week in Sheffield. Ronnie was sat next to Ken, and they were all raising a glass of wine to someone's phone camera with big smiles and grins on their faces. There was certainly lots of giggling and merriment coming from the table, with Ken and Ronnie talking to each other quite a lot.
Apart from the fact that they were sitting next to each other, they certainly looked like they were having a laugh, so I don't think there's that much animosity towards each other. None that I could see anyway. Lots of players, and most of the press crew, and BBC crew, go to 400s every year, as it's the best Indian in Sheffield, if not the whole of Yorkshire. The food is out of this world.
As for Ken not being fit to tie up ronnies shoelaces, let's not forget that a couple of years ago Ken Doherty almost beat Ronnie O'Sullivan in a best of 17 - with Ronnie only just making it back to level the scores, before Ronnie won in a very narrow victory. Ken was 56 in the World, and very nearly beat Ronnie. So he's not exactly a crap snooker player. Ok, so he's dropping down the rankings to 85 at the moment, but not bad for a man in his 50s who became semi-retired in 2009.
After lifting the world title, Ken featured in two more world finals, 3 UK championship finals, and 2 Masters finals. He has also won multiple ranking tournaments, and reached number 2 in the world in 2006, just three years before he semi-retired. That's more than Steve Davis managed to do when he was the same age.
And let's not forget, the year that Ken Doherty lifted the World Crown in 1997, when Ronnie delivered the fastest Maxi, Ronnie had been a professional for 5 years. So hardly a novice. Even so, he didn't even make it past Darren Morgan in the 2nd round in '97. Ken turned professional two years before Ronnie, and won the world championship inside 7 years. It took Ronnie 9 years. Ken is the 1st, and only, player to win the World Championship at junior level, amateur level and professional.
Doherty beat Hendry in the '97 final, when Hendry was at the very top of his powers.
So as for being fit enough to do up Ronnie's shoe laces, I think perhaps, he is.
And in case you're wondering whether I am a massive Ken fanboy, I'm not, I'm just being honest, and a realist. I am in fact, the complete antithetical diemetric. I am actually one of Ronnie O'Sullivan's biggest fans, and follow his every shot, in every tournament. I was in Sheffield last month to watch him play. I am a huge admirer and supporter of his, following Ronnie to a number of events, but especially the Masters and the World's, and had tickets to every session up to the semi-final. I couldn't get tickets to see Ronnie in the final, as the tickets were sold out.
I mean you only have to look at the snooker season calendar to see just how many tournements are crammed into such a short space of time.
Interesting one this, as an avid snooker fan ive watched this video a few times, even live at the time, trying to watch it objectively (as a huge Ronnie fan) but still feel the exact same way... It still annoys me how Davis reacts and actually says "why not retire" ... Ronnie is merely expressing his honest feelings on why any serious player should have to commit to donkey-travelling tourney to tourney to collect important ranking points... The counter argument is well there's more tournaments hence more money and more opportunities for the lower ranked players... there's one flaw in this at least... money, it costs money for each player to travel, you wouldnt believe how well a seasoned player would have to do to break even over a full season. I've heard Michael Holt say he just about broke even and he was number 40ish in the world at that time, its ludicrous... Personally I think tournaments should be available all year round as its healthy for the players, advertisetment and the sport BUT the ranking points goes on say your best so many tournaments... A well thought out compromised ranking points plan would benefit all. I respect what Barry Hearn has done for snooker but let's be honest he's a numbers man, not a snooker man.
Agreed with everything on the whole man but to say Barry Hearn isn't a snooker man is absolutely ludicrous, he's been involved in snooker for 40yrs and runs the whole ship now..as an avid snooker fan myself I have no shame in admitting Barry has forgotten more than I'll ever know..I get the point you're trying to make, of course he's a numbers man the players have to get paid and a profit has to made, simple
Spoiled snooker players moaning about playing snooker. They should go out to a building site on cold frosty monday morning. That would give them something to mean about.
Ye but these top players want everything done for them. Aren't most of them sponsor. If they don't like it why don't they get a job on a building site. See how they'd like turning up on a cold frosty Monday morning.
without ronnie there is no snooker
If you were a fan you'd be as angry as Steve Davis was. Ronnie's changes would benefit the top 8 and screw over the remaining top 120. The purpose of the tour isn't to guarantee the same 8 players win every tournament and scoop up all the prize money.
This interview was in 2018. It's now 2022 and Ronnie's now World #1 doing exactly what Ken told him to do - Ronnie picked and chose his tournaments and doesn't complain about the tour. He owns Ken and Steve an apology.
ronnie spot on
Ronnie's top 10 tournaments make the rankings make sense for the players.
(But Certain tournaments would inevitably shrink in stature without the top players there.)
Young players coming in is what it's about - they're cheaper, that is what motivates business people and Baz is that.
Love Ronnie class act
34.08 she calls hearn a businesswoman 🤣
Steve Davis is pulling faces like he’s sitting on the rough end of a pineapple and then at 21.13 into the interview he ends up saying he agrees with Ronnie’s idea. Stay retired Steve and stop sucking up to the brass. When the best player to have ever picked up a cue says there is something wrong in the game then people should listen! I’m not saying Ronnie is right in everything he says but the game did need changing. I hope he wins his 7th world title because he has every other record in the game.
I’m taking it you are quite happy with how this has aged?
Hahah i got news about that 7th title mate lol
7-7-7 triple crown titles now
Mark Allen's comment about athletes is an interesting one, I like his straight talking, pretty good player too. Hearn makes a lot of good points, its hard to fault some of the points he made whether you like him or not.
No, Hearns doesn't. Ronnie is right. An average player that goes to almost all events and never goes that deep might earn more points than a better player who only goes to around 40 % of the events and runs deep.
Name one of his "good points". Everything he said was twisting other people's word or straight up lying. Cause he's a greedy disrespectful sad old man.
Ronnie isn’t the greatest at making his point well, but it’s obvious what he means.
If you’ve spent years building a profile, and paying your dues, and you’re still able to smash at a few tournaments, you shouldn’t need to be made to feel like you still need to be a workhorse to get in the best competitions.
The masters takes the top 16, but to be in the top 16, it’s get deep into everything, or play mediocre in everything. Mediocre players should not be the top 16.
"you shouldn’t need to be made to feel like you still need to be a workhorse to get in the best competitions." You can maintain your top 16 ranking just by entering the UK-based tournaments (World Championship, UK, the four Home Nations opens, World Grand Prix, Players Championship and Shoot Out) and maybe going to the China Open. That being said, modern players should have to travel around the world; snooker is an international sport. Imagine if Federer complained about having to play tennis tournaments outside Europe.
The best thing Hearn did was take control of the snooker tour away from the top 16 players, who used to run it like a cartel. That's why there were only 9 ranking tournaments for the whole season, 6 of which were in the UK. The elite players liked it that way, because it minimised overseas travel which took them away from their families. The game's in much better health today than it was 20 years ago, thanks to Hearn's reforms.
What? Ronnie is crystal clear in his explanation.
@@seanfagan6727 I didn’t say he wasn’t clear.
I said he never made his point well.
He speaks his mind, and some would argue he’s earned that right. But he doesn’t say his piece very diplomatically.
@@nomchompsky3012 There are about 20 UK based tournaments, which is absurd.
You can get 16th without travelling half way around the world though.
He should of suggested stephen lee
Ronnie's right- rankings should be based on an average of the top 10 tournaments. It's a no-brainer unless you're Hearn and you want to milk the top talent in the smaller tournaments of the tour.
Yep. Its set up so that it forces the top 16 to compete in the smaller tournaments for promotion purposes but also provides an ( perhaps unfair ) opportunity for the newcomers to rank higher due to these tournaments not being suited for the long established players that are more easier burn't out having to compete in so many at a later maturity lets say.. And Steve here is right up the arse of Hearn talking nonsense as expected. Haha
The reason snooker was in such a mess in the first place is because there were only 9 ranking tournaments, and that suited the cabal of elite players just fine. The game is for the 128, not the top 16. The top 16 used to basically run the sport they were competing in! Madness.
@@nomchompsky3012 But the players outside the top 32 can't make a living out of it because the prize money is crap unless you're winning.
Milking the top players it what pays for prize money though. Ronnies system only works if you don't need to make any money. Ronnie wants to have his cake and eat it too, you can't expect to get paid to what you want all the time. Ronnies system wouldnt generate enough money to be feasible. Like Barry said when the players had control there was no money in snooker because the players didn't want any tournaments. All the money in snooker comes from China.
@@DadschairwisdomIf the top players weren't forced to play small tournaments there wouldn't be enough prize money. Like Barry said if you had it Ronnies way you'd just have 6 or 7 tournaments, reducing the money in snooker massively. Then the prize money for the world's, masters etc would be quartered too. Ronnie wants a new system because he doesn't make his living from snooker so hes not worried if everyone else has to start working part time to cover expenses.
Have it Steve 💪💪💪
27.18 she calls Barry a business women 🤣🤣
at 34:08 does she call him a business woman?
i like Steve but how can he be so confused for so long? surly not paid to frown and express confusion?
Ronnie vs Hearns' lawyers.........sad
Did she call him a businesswoman
He is good at talking, Barry Hearne but it does help when he's right.
This may ruffle some feathers but for my two peneth,, I'd suggest that the greatest problem is the standard of the game, if the up and coming players were playing their a game week to week, players like Ronnie, Selby etc etc would have been out played and maybe looking towards retirement rather than keep turning up only to be knocked out at most tournaments in the early rounds.
The top 16 is mainly filled with players that have been around for decades, surely this is where the issue of too many tournaments for some of the top players lay.
It won’t ruffle any feathers because anyone would assume you’re mentally disabled. Most will probably think awww how cute, look, he’s put a paragraph together and everything 🤣😂
Anyone notice Ronnie speaking about Davis, not recognising him sat next to him?
12:30 lol Ken gets out of bed puts the hours in ha love ronnnnnnald
I just love how Hazel calls him a businesswoman.
Davis right in ways don’t like his body language when Ronnie speaking
You can tell he's a liberal. They can't help but express discomfort when they disagree with something you say. I don't really like what Steve says but you won't find me squishing my face up at him when he speaks because I'm tolerant of others.
@@KieranDevvs Stephen was at Ronnie Ronnie wasn’t
gamesmanship will never be cheating.
Did Carol say "business women" to Barry Hearn at 34.05? 🤣🤣🤣
Yeah mistakes were made. Just like referring to Hazel as Carol. 😂
Roofers dont get up at 5am lol
They hate it when he mentions iTv
Steve Davis doesn't respect other people's opinions.
16:07 Davis: "we cant speak for the other 127 players"
2:25 Also Davis: "the other 127 players on the tour who I would imagine, more of them than not, would be disagreeing with what he says"
Cracking spot!
Gotta love Barry and be annoyed by him in equal measure as well haha
Hazel called Barry a 'business woman'. @34:06 😮😮😂 You sure this wasn't in 2023? 😆😆
At 34.10 she calls Hearn a businesswoman!
Bizarre.
She called barry a business woman
Funny insult at 34.05
I never knew Barry Hearn was a businesswoman
34:07 "You, as a businesswoman" ?
It's fine for ROS to advocate exhibition play from rookies, although they haven't got the money to play open and flash like ROS (coming from a ROS fan)
That wasn’t his argument. He is advocating for only making the top 10 tournaments count for ranking points so that it’s quality over quantity
Is Barry a business woman? Is that not what she called him? 😂😂😂
37:14 don't suppose Barry was hinting at Mark Selby?
11.54
Who here after Ronnie won his 7th world title
Surely less ranking events are the answer.
There's no doubt in my mind. This bloke is the greatest of all time, and he will get the eighth crucible. Then I think he will stick his middle fingers up to the Herne family and walk away. And then nobody will be watching Snooker again, and the only people to blame Will be Barry Herne and his Empire yet again.
were there tweaks after this interview?
Snooker is NOT an Olympic sport.
And you are NOT anything, so shut your cake hole
What me and Barry have achieved for snooker is incomparable in any other sport. Had it not been for us, snooker would be dead.
what have you done for snooker exactly
We base the format on golf that’s fine but when a snooker player wins a okay average tournement might get a pay off of 50,000 abroad and that’s not bad but golf gets a winner and they get 1.2million and spent right and put into the right channels can keep you going for life
Ronnie is spot on
The circuit is great right now but THE PLAYERS should have a points system like golf does to choose to enter the events the want to enter. It's then on the player to gain enough points to make the major events
Darts has the same system...don't want to play then don't
This is how it works now though. Ronnie isn't forced to okay tournaments . Like ken said you can get plenty of ranking points just playing the major tournaments, no one's forcing Ronnie to play smaller tournaments.
Surprised at Davis here. You only have to go back to Ronnie's first 147 at 21 years old, where he didn't slow down for a second on the way to a 5 minute maximum when there was $147K on the line, to know that money was NEVER a factor for him.
The reality is ...ronnie osullivan IS SNOOKER !
if he just failed to qualify on purpose hearn would give him a wildcard into every tournament
only top 20 or 50 make money the bottom players are struggling davis wont say anythin bad about his mate
Business woman 😂😂
34.08 hazel calls barry hearn a buisness woman 😂😂😂
"You dont wanna pay your dues"
Its ronnie osullivan ffs
26:22 Just for this comment, Barry Hearn should have gotten a beating. The disrespect towards the players is unacceptable.
His position doesn't even make sense cause he doesn't apply it consistently in all the sports he has power in.
And he can say that snooker is at its highest point ever but it's not true, it's dying and it's dying cause the good players are fed up.
Every answer Barry gives is just full of lies and manipulations cause he only cares about his pockets.
For example, he completely flips what Mark Williams says, which ensures that professionals earn something, gives more money to the Challenge tour and would allow top players to at least have a day or two to rest in between tournaments. He goes and flips that into an accusation of selfishness when Barry is an egomaniac who has enriched himself by exploting young players and making corrupt deals with corrupt institutions within corrupt governments.
Steve with the baffled look on his face as Ronnie continually contradicts himself lol, nowadays Ron says he likes travelling to tournaments, road trip’s 😂
The commentators are really overly deferential to Hearn. Do they work for his organization?
I wish Ronnie had turned around & told Davis to get the stupid look off his face.
Years later 2024 ronnie o o'sullivan ranked no1 snooker player and wins his 8 masters , and becomes the oldest winner in all 3 triple crowns , snooker is ronnie !
Im wondering why at 34 mins & 5 seconds hazel calls barry a business woman and no one laughts & no one corrects her..?
hearn we have to go where the money is he means his money and f--k the players
Sour grapes!
34:09 did she say businesswoman? Lmao
Yes she called Barry Hearn a businesswoman 😂
Yeah, make it harder for players, easier for referees, that's what the public is crying out for.
Ronnie's actually saying he'd like the Federer (edit: Federer/Djokovic/Nadal/Williams) treatment and rather not play the below 16/32/64 players. That's BS. "There are so many tournaments now, I really have to go to each one?" - YES. My counter to that is that Tennis wishes it had so many tournaments, and because it doesn't fans see the same handful of players fighting for the title. I don't want that. I want great performances, because my favorites including Ronnie hasn't always been in the top 16. I'm 100% with Barry on this. More money on the line = excitement for everyone involved in the sport. Favoritism would make the sport duller, like Tennis or Golf like Ronnie mentions. If you want to play less Snooker Ronnie, have an easier schedule, play fewer non-ranking events then. You have about as many ranking event wins as non-ranking. Tweak that...
how about discussing the miss rule a bit, if theres a rule that's gonna destroy the game it's that
Barry is spot on.
If top players not in qualification stages, no tv exposure follows, and tournaments shut down.
Getting old is natural,... ronnie has had a great career, needs to stop moaning or retire.
The sport itself is bigger than any player, and the youth coming through has to be financially rewarded and attracted to the game as a potential career.
As Barry states, take a week off Ronnie, you are not FORCED to play events.
I think what barry is forgetting here, that he disregards the players, as he says "it's not about the players, it's about the money. Who does he think brings in the viewers? I'm not watching snooker for the management or the PR, and you can't make money without the players.
at this moment in time if ronnie walks from the game it will crash and burn .we willl no longer be a world leader in the game it will end up being played mostly in asia
Bollocks, you seriously think the whole tour rests on Ronnie's shoulders? If Ronnie stops then it will be mostly played in Asia,where do you get that from? Yes Ronnie is great to watch and the best ever to play the game but there are over 100 players,snooker was big before Ronnie and it will survive when Ronnie retires,the future of the game does not revolve around Ronnie
As strange or disagreeable as Ronnies comments are, I'm surprised by Davis in this and observing just how rude he is. Despite being at odds with Ronnie as he doesn't half talk some s##te, there was no need for that. The face pulling was just absurd never mind disrespectful and you're coming down to his standards. As much as 'some' of what Ron said and suggested here raises an interesting take, especially for the top players who go far, once again he himself disrespects the grass roots side of the game and spares little if no consideration for others at the opposite side of the sport. Selfish as always.
On both parts therefore the whole thing is cringeworthy. Davis needs to take his cue out of Hearns arse ffs. Ronnie you're best just sticking to what you do best and cutting out the verbal dihorrea 🙄
😊
Snooker is like mental athletics