Yep wouldn't be surprised if his pot success rate was the lowest of the round, it was 82% near the end, might have picked up a bit ultimately.......but a win is a win, better than playing brilliantly and getting knocked out.
Hearn is such a bullsh***er. One minute he wants players to play on a level playing field based on merit hence the reason he introduced the 128 format so no protection for the top 16 and now he is granting four invites for (with respect!) has-been players. Totally inconsistent and sums up Hearn's character.
So the top 16 are seeded in 2015 world's but if they lose the first match, they get their £12k prize money but it doesn't count towards the ranking prize list.
And the players ranked 17-32 will have to play three matches instead of 1.
And as long as Barry is in charge and the BBC and Sheffield City Council support him, the world's will stay at the Crucible forever.
So the top 16 are seeded in 2015 world's but if they lose the first match, they get their £12k prize money but it doesn't count towards the ranking prize list.
And the players ranked 17-32 will have to play three matches instead of 1.
And as long as Barry is in charge and the BBC and Sheffield City Council support him, the world's will stay at the Crucible forever.
I think Barry Hearn is inconsistent but I'm not privy to financial demands/restraints put upon World Snooker. My guess is he does want the WC to have the 128 format because it makes a certain measure of sense to have the defending world champion compete from round one. The BBC is reluctant to go with this format for fear of higher ranked players being knocked out too early.
The change to let older players back on the tour (as well as four invites) seems hypocritical coming from a man that has said if players don't like the changes he made to the sport they should get another job. He's stressed many times about wanting to remove their protection and now he's protecting his old pal, Steve Davis, from professional snooker extinction. And let's not forget, Steve Davis decided to go on a reality tv show and not play at the UK Championship. It's not as if his love to retain his ranking prevented him saying "yes, I'll take the huge fee for I'm A Celebrity!"
He can do what he likes with his life, of course, but I don't think he should be rewarded for dropping out of the main tour. An invite seems like rewarding someone for playing badly.
I have been a huge critic of Uncle Barry on this and the darting threads over the years, but today I applaud the man and the board for some brilliant decisions.
Crucible - Yes.
Top 16 seeds there - Yes
Invitational players - Yes
128 Draw for Worlds ( prior to Crucible ) - Yes
No adding of prize money for 1st round losers to rankings - Yes
Living world champions invited - Not sure on that one
But overall, very happy
Let us not forget - without Hendry, Davis and White....we wouldn't be having this chat because snooker wouldn't be the sport it is
I dont get the obsession with the 100 centuries. It would be a good achievement but a hundred break is a fairly irrelevant stat in snooker. Good to see Robertson playing well though. Most of the other top players have started the tournament slowly.
I dont get the obsession with the 100 centuries. It would be a good achievement but a hundred break is a fairly irrelevant stat in snooker. Good to see Robertson playing well though. Most of the other top players have started the tournament slowly.
It's down to the sheer volume that he's notching up Simon. The previous best was Trump last season with 61. This season Robbo's nearest challenger is Ding with 62.
So he's hit 50% more centuries than the next best - that's an incredible feat, not just good. If you'd have come on the forum at the start of the season and suggested somebody would make 80 tons you'd have got laughed off, yet alone be closing in on a hundred.
I do take your point about centuries being to a degree irrelevant in terms of Matchplay though, obviously making a 70 or 80 to win the frame in one visit isore important.
I have been a huge critic of Uncle Barry on this and the darting threads over the years, but today I applaud the man and the board for some brilliant decisions.
Crucible - Yes.
Top 16 seeds there - Yes
Invitational players - Yes
128 Draw for Worlds ( prior to Crucible ) - Yes
No adding of prize money for 1st round losers to rankings - Yes
Living world champions invited - Not sure on that one
But overall, very happy
Let us not forget - without Hendry, Davis and White....we wouldn't be having this chat because snooker wouldn't be the sport it is
I agree completely with you (amazingly!) on your points of view, the invitational players given to Davis etc...means that players from the Q School OoM could miss out but tbf, they're not on tour because they weren't good enough to qualify through Q School, better to give these invitations to legends of the game rather than unheard players who have so far been unsuccessful in qualifying for the tour, so I agree with that one.
as for the living World Champions, I think again that would just be to 'make up the numbers' so they can have the flat 128 qualifying draw, I can't see any of these players actually been able to beat a player ranked 17-80 (presumably?) let alone win three matches to qualify.
I agree completely with you (amazingly!) on your points of view, the invitational players given to Davis etc...means that players from the Q School OoM could miss out but tbf, they're not on tour because they weren't good enough to qualify through Q School, better to give these invitations to legends of the game rather than unheard players who have so far been unsuccessful in qualifying for the tour, so I agree with that one.
as for the living World Champions, I think again that would just be to 'make up the numbers' so they can have the flat 128 qualifying draw, I can't see any of these players actually been able to beat a player ranked 17-80 (presumably?) let alone win three matches to qualify.
Well I'm home now - I had planned to go camping but the weather forecast wasn't good, and I just didn't feel any enthusiasm for it, and I was wishing I was at home with the snooker on! I was at my parents' so I saw some snooker but not all, and my dad has a tendency to mute people he doesn't like. It's quite a long list, so we watched several matches in silence! It's nice to be back on my own settee with the snooker on and a glass of wine - I'm not back at work til the week after next, so I could theoretically just lock myself in and watch the lot, although I expect I'll be tempted over to Sheffield at least a couple of times. I'm particularly tempted by Ken playing at the weekend....
Comments
Hearn: World Champs to stay best-of-19. Top 16 players to stay seeded in the event but qualifiers expanding to 144 players!!
4-2 up to lose 10-4. Waste of space.
And the players ranked 17-32 will have to play three matches instead of 1.
And as long as Barry is in charge and the BBC and Sheffield City Council support him, the world's will stay at the Crucible forever.
I think Barry Hearn is inconsistent but I'm not privy to financial demands/restraints put upon World Snooker. My guess is he does want the WC to have the 128 format because it makes a certain measure of sense to have the defending world champion compete from round one. The BBC is reluctant to go with this format for fear of higher ranked players being knocked out too early.
The change to let older players back on the tour (as well as four invites) seems hypocritical coming from a man that has said if players don't like the changes he made to the sport they should get another job. He's stressed many times about wanting to remove their protection and now he's protecting his old pal, Steve Davis, from professional snooker extinction. And let's not forget, Steve Davis decided to go on a reality tv show and not play at the UK Championship. It's not as if his love to retain his ranking prevented him saying "yes, I'll take the huge fee for I'm A Celebrity!"
He can do what he likes with his life, of course, but I don't think he should be rewarded for dropping out of the main tour. An invite seems like rewarding someone for playing badly.
Crucible - Yes.
Top 16 seeds there - Yes
Invitational players - Yes
128 Draw for Worlds ( prior to Crucible ) - Yes
No adding of prize money for 1st round losers to rankings - Yes
Living world champions invited - Not sure on that one
But overall, very happy
Let us not forget - without Hendry, Davis and White....we wouldn't be having this chat because snooker wouldn't be the sport it is
Get in! Come on Robbo
Which one.;-)
Quite an achievement should he get 100 centuries in a season, one player that will give Ronnie O' Sullivan a game should they meet in the final.
It's down to the sheer volume that he's notching up Simon. The previous best was Trump last season with 61. This season Robbo's nearest challenger is Ding with 62.
So he's hit 50% more centuries than the next best - that's an incredible feat, not just good. If you'd have come on the forum at the start of the season and suggested somebody would make 80 tons you'd have got laughed off, yet alone be closing in on a hundred.
I do take your point about centuries being to a degree irrelevant in terms of Matchplay though, obviously making a 70 or 80 to win the frame in one visit isore important.
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?p=72341238#post72341238
I usually PM everybody a reminder but there's too many players this year!
I agree completely with you (amazingly!) on your points of view, the invitational players given to Davis etc...means that players from the Q School OoM could miss out but tbf, they're not on tour because they weren't good enough to qualify through Q School, better to give these invitations to legends of the game rather than unheard players who have so far been unsuccessful in qualifying for the tour, so I agree with that one.
as for the living World Champions, I think again that would just be to 'make up the numbers' so they can have the flat 128 qualifying draw, I can't see any of these players actually been able to beat a player ranked 17-80 (presumably?) let alone win three matches to qualify.
Clarky, Clarky, you've been hacked
5 to go :cool:
94% pot success - that's Ronnie standard. Feel a bit sorry for Gouldy, he would have beaten a few that have made it through I reckon...