The 10 Best Snooker Players of All Time

[Korea Hammer]

Thought it might be good to have a separate thread for this. McManus, Dave Hendon and someone else tried to put a list together and actually put Higgins ahead of Steve Davis, which really surprised me.

So, what would your list look like. The criteria can be whatever you like, ability, impact, achievements, it's up to you. Obviously, it's always hard to compare different eras purely ion ability, so personally, I'm going for a mixture of all three.

1) Hendry
2) O'Sullivan
3) Nugget
4) Joe Davis
5) John Higgins
6) Reardon
7) Selby
8) White
9) Williams
10) Robertson

O'Sullivan is a genius, but Hendry edges it for me because he had the ability and the character, and totally reinvented what the game could be. He won 7 World titles and did the triple crown in the same season twice. If it were purely in ability, it would be Ronnie, who can be absolutely sublime when he's on it, but looking at the big picture, I make Hendry the greatest of all time.

The Top 5 are in a different category to the others for me, but the order within that category is debateable, of course.

After that, it's a bit more open, and the 8/9/10 spots were very difficult. Hard to leave out Alex Higgins, and Fred Davis and John Pullman won it 16 times between them!

Other than that, hard to see who else would be a contender. Trump may well be on the list in 5 years time, but at the moment it's still mostly potential. Doherty made 3 World Finals. Spencer won it 3 times. After that, no-one else seems a realistic contender to me.

[DasNutNock]

Not sure I can rank them in order, but of the players I’ve seen:

Hendry
Davis
White
Parrot
Ronnie
Robertson
Scotch cheat
Doherty
Williams
Selby

Ranking the biggest hitters is incredibly difficult. Ronnie had better longevity but arguably inferior mental fortitude by comparison to Davis & Hendry. Of Hendry & Davis, the easiest to compare, I’d have Hendry top - coldest b*stard to boss the tables. Ruthless success machine and the best middle pocket player I’ve seen.

[Chicken Run Supreme]

Alex "Hurricane " Higgins. If you consider impact on the game, then not only would he walk into the Top 10, he would be very near the Top of the tree. Without Alex, snooker simply wouldn't be where it is now, he put it on the map and most importantly got people watching it on TV.
He was a flawed genius though and 2 World Titles doesn't seem enough for someone who was naturally more gifted than even Ronnie O'Sullivan, but the demons that eventually curtailed his career where never far from the surface. He was called The People's Champion because the public loved his attacking style of play and the public recognized his frailty too and that just made us want to see him do even better.
Apart from winning the World Title twice, Alex was runner up twice and is one of only 10 players to complete the career Triple Crown of World, UK and Masters titles. There are two matches in his career that stood out for me. The first was his 1982 semi final vs a youthful Jimmy White when he put together one of the greatest non 147 breaks I've ever seen with the score at 15-14 in Jimmy's favour, he came to the table 59 points down with The Whirlwind all set to make his first final. Alex was in imperious form and crafted an amazing 69 break to win the frame and then the decider to break his protégé's heart - poor old Jimmy would get used to that happening a lot more in future years at The Crucible! Higgins went to beat Ray "Count Dracula" Reardon in the final and the TV coverage of his wife and daughter joining him in celebration was highly emotional.
The second match that stands out was 1983 UK Final versus The Nugget who was sweeping all before him. Higgins trailed Davis 6 nil but staged a wonderful comeback to eventually run out the winner at 16-15. I hated Davis and loved Higgins so it really couldn't have been any better.
Sure he was no angel and courted controversy throughout his career. He drank like a fish, smoked like a chimney, swore like a trooper, loved his gambling, loved his women, dabbled with the white stuff, smoked puff - no wonder he was best buds with Olly Reed! He was famously floored by one single punch from Cliff "The Grinder" Thorburn and there was always some needle in their matches, as there was when he played Davis who was everything Alex wasn't, cold calculating, boring to watch but a serial winner.
For those snooker fans who weren't around when Alex wax at his peak go on YouTube and look for that 69 break he put together to beat Jimmy in 1982, that was The Hurricane at his best. Certainly not the greatest player ever in terms of career titles but definitely one of the most significant players ever to grace the game and without a shadow of doubt, my favourite all time player and certainly worthy of a place at that Top Table of 10.

I woul also recommend From The Eye of The Hurricane the story of Alex Higgins, its a great read.

[Korea Hammer]

You've convinced me CRS, The Hurricane gets the number 10 spot in place of Robertson, although harsh on the man who made 100 centuries in a season, something that would have been utterly unimaginable in Alex's day.

[Korea Hammer]

I think Higgins also threatened to have Dennis Taylor shot. Now, I'm no fan of Dennis' commentary, but I'd have to say that's a bit strong.

Davis, along with Sir Trev, was my sporting hero growing up. Never got the 'boring' tag, always thought he was brilliant to watch.

[Chicken Run Supreme]

It's a tough call between Davis and Hendry for the Top spot. Both were players I loved to hate, I've always backed the under dog, it's in my DNA as a West Ham fan! However I'm not so blinkered that I can't recognize the enormity of their achievements, both were ruthless and cold as ice and had their opponents beaten before the first frame had even had its break off such was their intimidating presence. I'd give it to Hendry though despite his cruel destruction of Jimmy in that Final.
Funnily enough, as Davis lost some of his ruthlessness towards the end of his career I warmed to him a bit and his self deprecation was endearing.

[White Goodman]

Ok, a controversial list from me in order

1. Hendry
2. Higgins
3. O'Sullivan
4. Davis
5. Selby
6. Williams
7. Alex Higgins
8. Jimmy White
9. John Parrott
10. Cliff Thorburn

Not going to justify them all but Hendry had absolutely everything, effectively the blueprint for every modern player post the Steve Davis era.

Higgins (through gritted teeth) for me was/is the closest thing to Hendry, very few weaknesses and mental grit that O'Sullivan doesn't possess.

O'Sullivan has to make the top 3 but he can only win one way ie when his naturally superior game overwhelms opponents (which admittedly is a lot of the time). Numerous times, he has been outfought by the likes of players like Selby, Higgins . Those sorts who are prepared to mentally dig in and play the long game.

Losing to Cahill in one of his most successful years ever tells you all you need to know about Ronnie. He can't play at a decent level if he just isn't in the mood and it's why he has 5 world titles and not the 11 or 12 he'd have if he had an ounce of the mental strength that Higgins or Selby possess.

[White Goodman]

Oh and an honourable mention for the late great Bill Werbeniuk for this

"Some of Werbeniuk's most famous feats of drinking include: 76 cans of lager during a game with John Spencer in Australia in the 1970s;[1] 43 pints of lager in a snooker match/drinking contest against Scotsman Eddie Sinclair in which, after Sinclair had passed out following his 42nd pint, Werbeniuk was reported to say "I'm away to the bar now for a proper drink";[6] 28 pints of lager and 16 whiskies over the course of 11 frames during a match against Nigel Bond, in January 1990 – after which Werbeniuk then consumed an entire bottle of Scotch to "drown his sorrows" after losing the match."

[White Goodman]

Almost nobody including Joe Davis, I guess due to not really being able to assess his game against the modern crop.

However 15 World Championships and a highest break of 147 on tables that were much harder to play on than those nowadays.

[DasNutNock]

Didn't see enough of Hurricane or Reardon, and I'd guess there's a few 21st century players that would make the cut over the likes of Doherty or Parrot, if I'd seen them play. Likewise Joe Davis, who Nugget always speaks in hushed tones about.

[brothernero]

Just going to list my own top 10 and that will be players from my time as a Snooker fan. I am pretty sure 1 of them you all will disagree with.

Top 10 in random order

Ronnie O'Sullivan
Jimmy White
Steve Davis
Stephen Hendry
John Higgins
Mark Selby
Mark Williams
Ken Doherty
Peter Ebdon
Alex Higgins


Had he sadly not passed away I am pretty sure Paul Hunter would have made most peoples top 10.

[DasNutNock]

Ebdon was a maybe for me - probably better than Parrot, but f**king awful to watch.

[Cockneyboy311]

The only time i may watch snooker for more than 2 seconds these days is if Ronnie is playing, and even then it might be for 5-10 minutes. it's just a bit boring these days imo. Game full of robots. Bring back the drinking and fags

Anyway for what it's worth, and based on what i have seen, so a distinct lack of modern players.

Hendry
Ronnie
Steve Davis
Alex Higgins
Jimmy White
Mark Williams
Dennis Taylor
Ray Reardon
John Higgins

[Tenbury]

Agreed. All a bit robotic for me lately ( R.O'S. aside).
Reardon(collier)
Mount joy (ditto)
Griffiths (postie)
Spencer (no idea, looked like a gigolo)
..All a bit louche, and fun.

[westham,eggyandchips]

Ronnie
Hendry
Hurricane Higgins
Steve Davis
John Higgins
Selby
Reardon
Jimmy White
Mark Williams
John Spencer

[Hammer.CA]

I think Higgins also threatened to have Dennis Taylor shot. Now, I'm no fan of Dennis' commentary, but I'd have to say that's a bit strong.

Davis, along with Sir Trev, was my sporting hero growing up. Never got the 'boring' tag, always thought he was brilliant to watch.

A mate of mine tried to make it as a snooker pro around the time of Davis, White, Dennis Taylor. He said Taylor was the most obnoxious git you could wish to meet.