Ssb - premier league returns

[ferret]

The Premier League without Ronnie O’Sullivan is a bit like getting tickets to see The Beatles (back in the day) and discovering there was no John Lennon. Or Paul McCartney.


Since the introduction of the shot-clock, O’Sullivan has dominated this event like no other. He has won the Premier League ten times in total but, this year, has not entered.


So, like George (who was always my favourite Beatle anyway) and Ringo going it alone, the tournament, which starts tomorrow, will not feel the same.


But, it does include ten top players, including League debuts for Mark Allen, Stuart Bingham and Stephen Lee, who all won ranking titles last season.


The Premier League format has once again changed. There are ten players split into two groups of five, the top two in each progressing to the semi-finals.


Group A: Ding Junhui, Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson, Mark Selby and Bingham
Group B: Judd Trump, Allen, Lee, John Higgins and Peter Ebdon


The shot-clock is fixed at 25 seconds with players permitted two time extensions per frame.


This should be no problem for Trump, among the favourites for the title, or Allen (even if the event if a new experience for him).


Some others will surely struggle, though, which brings us to Ebdon.


Of the top players there is none more methodical, but Ebdon is still a heavy scorer who can play to a high standard and it may be that when he is forced to play quickly, with no time for nerves and doubts to set in, he will do so perfectly ably.


I have a feeling Allen will do well in this. He enjoys the big stage and seems a natural for this sort of format.


The Premier League has been running since 1987. It isn’t everyone’s cup of tea by any means but it is a good night out and takes the game to various parts of the UK increasingly ill-served by live snooker.


Sky Sports will once again be covering the tournament live in the UK.



More...

[the montrealer]

The Premier League without Ronnie O’Sullivan is a bit like getting tickets to see The Beatles (back in the day) and discovering there was no John Lennon. Or Paul McCartney.


Since the introduction of the shot-clock, O’Sullivan has dominated this event like no other. He has won the Premier League ten times in total but, this year, has not entered.


So, like George (who was always my favourite Beatle anyway) and Ringo going it alone, the tournament, which starts tomorrow, will not feel the same.


But, it does include ten top players, including League debuts for Mark Allen, Stuart Bingham and Stephen Lee, who all won ranking titles last season.


The Premier League format has once again changed. There are ten players split into two groups of five, the top two in each progressing to the semi-finals.


Group A: Ding Junhui, Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson, Mark Selby and Bingham
Group B: Judd Trump, Allen, Lee, John Higgins and Peter Ebdon


The shot-clock is fixed at 25 seconds with players permitted two time extensions per frame.


This should be no problem for Trump, among the favourites for the title, or Allen (even if the event if a new experience for him).


Some others will surely struggle, though, which brings us to Ebdon.


Of the top players there is none more methodical, but Ebdon is still a heavy scorer who can play to a high standard and it may be that when he is forced to play quickly, with no time for nerves and doubts to set in, he will do so perfectly ably.


I have a feeling Allen will do well in this. He enjoys the big stage and seems a natural for this sort of format.


The Premier League has been running since 1987. It isn’t everyone’s cup of tea by any means but it is a good night out and takes the game to various parts of the UK increasingly ill-served by live snooker.


Sky Sports will once again be covering the tournament live in the UK.



More...

Hi all i can say is without Ronnie Osullivan the Premiere League Snooker will not be the same. I cannot understand the thinking of Barry Hearn. Ticket sales i say would drop down when Ronnie played it was always sold out. People want to see a genius at work. Barry Hearn should have let Ronnie play without Ronnie signing the paper.

Thank god Ronnie finally signed the agreement with World Snooker Assoction

[FerruleFox]

Only on Sky, eh?

[DeanH]

Sportlemon has it from 17:30 to 20:30 today (UK time)

[arbitrage]

rory mcleod, peter ebdon have both played in the snooker shoot-outs under shot clock rules and they both did fine. mark selby has played in both the snooker shoot-outs and 2010 premier league and he did fine also under shot clock rules. the one and only reason why these 3 players play slowly in other circuit events is because they do so deliberately to put off other players. as the times and guardian have pointed out before, it is nothing more than legalized cheating.

[Particle Physics]

rory mcleod, peter ebdon have both played in the snooker shoot-outs under shot clock rules and they both did fine. mark selby has played in both the snooker shoot-outs and 2010 premier league and he did fine also under shot clock rules. the one and only reason why these 3 players play slowly in other circuit events is because they do so deliberately to put off other players. as the times and guardian have pointed out before, it is nothing more than legalized cheating.

Agreed, the refs at other tournaments need to have a quiet word with the players involved, it doesn't improve the watchability of the game for the crowd or tv audience, it's doing snooker no favours.

[Looki]

rory mcleod, peter ebdon have both played in the snooker shoot-outs under shot clock rules and they both did fine. mark selby has played in both the snooker shoot-outs and 2010 premier league and he did fine also under shot clock rules. the one and only reason why these 3 players play slowly in other circuit events is because they do so deliberately to put off other players. as the times and guardian have pointed out before, it is nothing more than legalized cheating.

How fine? I don't recal any of them winning PL or shoot-out. Selby has appeared in one PL final (the second time he was there he didn't advance from the league phase), Ebdon once in the semis (haven't been there since except this year). In shoot-out (2011 and 2012) all of them dropped before quarter finals. Of course they can play in these tournaments but it hardly means it's natural to them.

The Times and Guardian have showed nothing but moaning of some other players who fail to keep their **** together when the opponent doesn't play to their advantage.

[FerruleFox]

Sportlemon has it from 17:30 to 20:30 today (UK time)

Great, thanks!

[wildJONESEYE]

Hi all i can say is without Ronnie Osullivan the Premiere League Snooker will not be the same. I cannot understand the thinking of Barry Hearn. Ticket sales i say would drop down when Ronnie played it was always sold out. People want to see a genius at work. Barry Hearn should have let Ronnie play without Ronnie signing the paper.

Thank god Ronnie finally signed the agreement with World Snooker Assoction

Nothing to do with Barry Hearn Ronnie had the sulks nobody else

[jonnylovessn8ker]

hmm, maybe ebdon would score many 70+ breaks. would be hilarious.

[Gerry Armstrong]

hmm, maybe ebdon would score many 70+ breaks. would be hilarious.

5th on all time Pro tournament century breaks made list - will be interesting to see if he can make any under the shot clock.

[andy carson]

going to be difficult to split murphy and ding i reckon.

[arbitrage]

How fine? I don't recal any of them winning PL or shoot-out. Selby has appeared in one PL final (the second time he was there he didn't advance from the league phase), Ebdon once in the semis (haven't been there since except this year). In shoot-out (2011 and 2012) all of them dropped before quarter finals. Of course they can play in these tournaments but it hardly means it's natural to them.

The Times and Guardian have showed nothing but moaning of some other players who fail to keep their **** together when the opponent doesn't play to their advantage.

false logic - just because they didn't win, doesn't mean they didn't cope with conditions. in any case, as i've stated numerous times before, 25 secs is more than adequate for a shot, particularly for pros.

so you are ok with your opponent taking 45min per shot or maybe 2 hours per shot then?... and if you can't cope with that, it's your fault right? thanks for the 'you wore a short skirt, you invited it' argument - are you a fox news dedicated fan?

as is the case with most republican voters in the US, it is really pointless to argue with them as they would listen to rhetoric and vote against their own interests most of the time. all you have to do is look at the viewership / ticket sales data as evidence - snooker will suffer if shot clock rules are not introduced - and no amount of 19th century tea party rhetoric is going to change that.

[Gerry Armstrong]

Does Stephen Lee know it's £1,000 a frame?

[PatBlock]

Great question from "The Hair" there: "Judd, do you think there should be more tournaments that suite your particular style of play?"

-