Snooker
Ronnie O'Sullivan on Snooker's Golden Trio: 'The Class of '92 Will Never Be Replicated
Ronnie O’Sullivan reflects on the unparalleled careers of the Class of ’92—himself, John Higgins, and Mark Williams. As they approach their 50s, the legendary trio continues to dominate snooker, a feat O'Sullivan believes will be unmatched in future generations.
Snooker Icon Ronnie O’Sullivan reckons it is unlikely snooker will see the likes of the Class of ’92 again once they eventually hang up their cues.
The Legendary Trio’s Longevity
The Rocket, John Higgins and Mark Williams, who have pocketed 14 World Championships between them, have taken the sports to new heights during their three-decade-plus reign in the game.
That famous trio fondly remember their amateur days as they came through the ranks together, and despite fast approaching their 50s, the status quo remains the same as they will be fighting it out for the £500,000 top prize at this week’s mega-money Saudi Arabia Masters.
I don’t think you will see three have that sort of longevity again, certainly not in snooker anyway.
Ronnie O'Sullivan
The Competitive Rivalry That Shaped Their Careers
“I think we’ve pushed each other on in a way. One from Scotland, one from England, one from Wales so there’s always been that rivalry there, there’s been a three-way rivalry going on.”
“I think obviously Stephen Hendry helped us as well because he was a really good yardstick.”
“We grew up watching him, we came to tournaments and saw just how good he was and where we needed to get to.”
“He was the man to beat. It took us a while and then he started declining. But we were already on that treadmill, that hard school of knocks if you like where we were competing with guys like him, Steve Davis, John Parrott and Jimmy White.”
“We started getting in and amongst it when we were like 21 and from that age onwards, we’ve sort of kept that momentum and kept that professionalism and that hunger and desire to win.”
The Best O’Sullivan Has Ever Faced
“I played the best player ever in Stephen Hendry. I played John Higgins and Mark Williams. For me they’re the three best players I’ve ever played against, for me I’ve never played against anyone who can play to their level consistently.”
Everyone has good matches or good seasons, but to do it over a 30-year period or even a ten-year period is not easy to do.
Ronnie O'Sullivan
“They’re obviously in a league of their own.”
The top 16 enter the event, which boasts a hefty prize pot of £2.3million, in the last 32 on Tuesday.
Maintaining Dominance and Relevance in Snooker
O’Sullivan has regularly reinvented himself during his illustrious career. His record-breaking CV is a roll call of the game’s biggest records; most Triple Crown majors (23), most ranking titles (41), most maximum 147 breaks (15) and he is the only man to surpass 1,000 century breaks.
“Any one of us could be number one still, there’s not a lot between us,” added the Chigwell cueman.
“I’m not surprised in many ways because I know how good those guys are. I grew up with them.”
“You can’t just be good at potting or break building, you need more than that to survive, you need an all-round game.”
“Even if things aren’t going great, we have this ability to stay in the game and keep relevant.”
Shane is a respected journalist who has covered a range of sports for a number of years.