Shaun Murphy: Any top 64 snooker player today would have dominated in 1985 such is the standard

ByNigel Chiu

Updated 08/01/2023 at 23:59 GMT

Shaun Murphy explained to Eurosport why he thinks the quality of snooker is “without question” the best it has been. He thinks “any player in the top 64 now would dominate” against players in the 1980s such as Steve Davis, Alex Higgins, Cliff Thorburn and Kirk Stevens. Stream top snooker action including the 2023 Masters live on discovery+ and Eurosport.

Shaun Murphy believes any top 64 player in snooker today would have dominated the game in 1985, such has been the growth in standard.

Stats show that there has been a clear growth in average breaks, centuries and 147s over the last four decades.

However, there is an argument that the older players such as Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams wouldn’t still be in the top 10 of the rankings if the quality now is so much stronger.

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Asked by Eurosport for his opinion on whether the standard was higher, Murphy said: “Without question. Possibly back in the 1980, 90s and noughties, the top three or four perhaps may have produced a high standard, I don’t know [for those early years] because I wasn’t on the tour!

“But, in my opinion, it’s the strongest it has ever been now. If you picked any top 48 or 64 player today and put them in a time machine back to 1985, any one of them would dominate, such is the standard.

“While it’s a privilege to play in this era, it’s really difficult!”

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In terms of maximum breaks, 183 have been made on television since Steve Davis’ 147 in 1982. 45 were made prior to 2003, but since then, 138 have been made over the past 20 seasons.

Murphy thinks all areas of the game have improved on average, not just break building.

“All aspects are better now,” he said. “People are a lot smarter, better overall – scoring more balls, getting more points.

“Compare the average century break rate today to the same stat 20 years ago, we’re in a different league today. The stats speak for themselves.”

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In November, three-time world champion Williams tweeted that he doesn’t think the quality has improved that much.

"I don’t buy into or believe the standard at the top is better now than 15-20 years ago," he said in November. "[You had] me, [Stephen] Hendry, Higgins and Ronnie, [do you] think [the] top four are better today?”

Higgins didn’t agree with Williams’ comments and Neil Robertson, who lost in the opening round of the Masters on Sunday, backed the Scotsman.

“Higgins says it’s the hardest era he’s played in and if you look at someone like John, who has been around for 10 years longer than me, it’s the way it is,” said Robertson.

“Every match is really tough and the tour is the strongest it has been for sure.”

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Stream top snooker action including the 2023 Masters live on discovery+ and Eurosport.

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