Snooker 2021

[Blue Jam]

What's the CaB concensus on Mark J's break-off shot? He's been coming off the black cushion and going into the pack from below, leaving the cue ball above the black so he doesn't leave a long pot on for his opponent.  Neil Foulds on Eurosport reckons it's going to get banned. Apparently Judd Trump isn't a fan of it which makes me want to support it 100%.

He's been taking the piss on Twitter for a while now, which also makes me support it 100%:

https://mobile.twitter.com/markwil147/status/1384987215437127688

Nice to see him using Benpics' illustration of him nekkid as an avatar too. MJW is still my favourite person on Twitter, the utter ledge.

[sevendaughters]

really torn on it. on one hand i sort of think something should have to hit a cushion after initial red contact, on the other hand what i really love about sport is having a range of approaches and really exploring the strategic space so the game doesn't just become a weird procession.

[EOLAN]

I like Wales' thinnest fatman. Don't mind it at all myself. Good tactical reasoning behind it. Doesn't take long for frames to develop. And it annoys Trump.

[druss]

I think it's fine, it's a legal shot. He's right when he says if you start banning those shots then you may as well ban the roll up behind the colours as well.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Rerack situations are bad viewing for fans, and it strikes me the break off like that could potentially lead to more of those.

But as said above, Trump doesn't like it so as far as I'm concerned do it all day long. Did you read that insecure bollocks about 'Ronnie knowing I'm number 1'? I bet Ron had a chuckle about that. Ron will still be making the last 8 in tournaments long past Trump's hair transplant and septim removal.

[Flouncer]

The controversy has hit the pages of the Graun!

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/apr/21/mark-williams-defends-controversial-break-off-after-first-round-win

He's been taking the piss on Twitter for a while now, which also makes me support it 100%:

https://mobile.twitter.com/markwil147/status/1384987215437127688

Nice to see him using Benpics' illustration of him nekkid as an avatar too. MJW is still my favourite person on Twitter, the utter ledge.

I had a look on there last night and he was showing off his supper - a massive KFC replete with three pots of gravy! Top lad.

Rerack situations are bad viewing for fans, and it strikes me the break off like that could potentially lead to more of those.

I was kind of busy yesterday so I wasn't watching the whole match, but the few frames I caught where he broke off seemed to bear out what Mark said in the post-match interview: that within a few shots the frame is back to normal. Also I'd suggest that the longer he does it for, the more his opponents will develop ways of dealing with it (any advantage it grants him is likely to be temporary).

I don't think this shot is going to catch on in a massive way; I can't imagine many players being eager to use it. For me it's not the WPBSA's place to tell the players how to play the game, though if it did catch on and started to have a profound effect on the game, I think they'd be within their rights to step in and institute the sort of pool-style rule sevendaughters mentions under which a ball must touch a cushion after initial contact with the pack. At the moment though it's just one player doing it, and they don't seem to be doing it in the spirit of slowing down the game or frustrating their opponent. I think any action at this point would be heavy-handed.

[Blue Jam]

Really want a Trump-Williams final now.

[dr beat]

.

I was kind of busy yesterday so I wasn't watching the whole match, but the few frames I caught where he broke off seemed to bear out what Mark said in the post-match interview: that within a few shots the frame is back to normal. Also I'd suggest that the longer he does it for, the more his opponents will develop ways of dealing with it (any advantage it grants him is likely to be temporary).

Yes I get the argument that it risks re-racks, but on the other hand it might force opponents to be more inventive just for the sake of keeping the frame going.

[Blue Jam]

Ronnie on BBC2 showing off the wares in his pop-up shop. It looks like the Cristiano Ronaldo "CR7" museum on Madeira- ie, somewhere to store his memorabilia when there's no room left in the garage.

[Norton Canes]

Swear that black was about to drop

[druss]

Did you read that insecure bollocks about 'Ronnie knowing I'm number 1'? I bet Ron had a chuckle about that. Ron will still be making the last 8 in tournaments long past Trump's hair transplant and septim removal.

Not a massive fan of Trump but can't disagree with what he said. He's won about a dozen ranking events on the past couple of years, battering Ronnie every time he's met him in a final.

I don't think he will end up with as many world titles as Ronnie (definitely won't get as many triple crown wins) but he could overtake him in ranking events and centuries and I'd be very surprised if Ronnie didn't retire before Trump started slipping down the rankings.

[Blue Jam]

Awwww unlucky, Lebowski.

[Norton Canes]

"Where's the cue ball goi...." MUTE

Thanks John, that'll be all for this evening.

[Wayman C. McCreery]

Has anyone posted Ballbag Bingham's excruciatingly bad TikToks yet?

Here's a Twitter thread of highlights: https://twitter.com/sophiehnnh/status/1384560976742297602

This made me do a big laugh though: https://twitter.com/kendoherty1997/status/1384927722284232706

[sevendaughters]

I quite like the tiktok where he and his wife change clothes but the rest are rotten

Lisowski has a very interesting face. Handsome, a bit West Ham midfielder, a bit Eastenders jilted lover, a bit ten years in the TA.

[Norton Canes]

Just what I was thinking. Action Man Footballer.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Not a massive fan of Trump but can't disagree with what he said. He's won about a dozen ranking events on the past couple of years, battering Ronnie every time he's met him in a final.

It's more the fact he actually said it, as though he needs to give a shit about things like that.

[sevendaughters]

Trump is trying to take his #1 position as player ambassador seriously, with pointlessly amoral capitalist results, oh you want a relaxed form of the game appealing to kids *hits snooze and rolls back over*

[Norton Canes]

Is Lisowski growing a 'tache?

[Blue Jam]

It's more the fact he actually said it, as though he needs to give a shit about things like that.

One of the Eurosport commentators said Trump has commented that there hasn't been a single good performance in the first round. Also wasn't the "rivalry" between Trump and Kylo started by Trump saying Kylo would never win the World Championship, or something like that?

Not a very likeable chap is he? Again, I hope he meets Williams in the final and gets absolutely mindfucked by his patented break off.

[Blue Jam]

Robbo talking Warhammer and nerd tattoos now, heheheh love him.

[Flouncer]

I managed to get our lass to care about snooker by introducing her to Robertson and his loveable geekiness. She's actually put a tenner on him to win the tournament.

[druss]

One of the Eurosport commentators said Trump has commented that there hasn't been a single good performance in the first round. Also wasn't the "rivalry" between Trump and Kylo started by Trump saying Kylo would never win the World Championship, or something like that?

Not a very likeable chap is he? Again, I hope he meets Williams in the final and gets absolutely mindfucked by his patented break off.

He's the least likeable world number 1 since Hendry.

[Norton Canes]

Ronnie blames a sluggish start on cold hands; requests a mug of hot water, on which he subsequently almost burns his fingers. Could be an interesting session.

[EOLAN]

Less than a year since McGill had a reasonably fine if short head of ginger hair. All gone now. Keep thinking it's Gary Wilson.

[Blue Jam]

Watching the BBC coverage today. Mark Williams lamenting his son buying a 'ROCKET' t-shirt from Ronnie's Rocket Emporium and then wearing it at the Crucible to wind his old man up. You definitely passed on the Top Bantz Gene there, Mark.

Not that the show of support is doing Ronnie any good against Ginger Heisenberg, mind.

[Blue Jam]

Fuck's going on with Kylo's waistcoat? He looks like he's got a pair of carrying handles like a holdall. I can picture a big fella like Jan Verhaas just lifting him up.

[Blue Jam]

Lisowski has a very interesting face. Handsome, a bit West Ham midfielder, a bit Eastenders jilted lover, a bit ten years in the TA.

[druss]

Fuck I was so close to putting a fiver on McGill to beat Ronnie. Wouldn't be shocked if the 2020 world title will be his last, after his showings in recent finals I don't think he has that winner's drive anymore. Particularly the one against Jordan Brown where it seemed like after he saw Jordan's face of desolation he practically gave him the frame by taking a suicide long blue whilst smirking.

[EOLAN]

Every time I turn on McGill is just dominating at the table with big breaks. Has Ronnie done much wrong or is McGill just in Beast Mode. Seen a couple of safety's that weren't awful but not great either from Ronnie the rare time I see him play a shot.