2018 World Championship

[Stony152]

Great photo. I wonder why Ali wasn't there.

2111555JJ3gC4Yj.jpg

[SnookerFan]

The worst commentator is Phil Yates.

[andy-w]

Dave Hendon and Neil Foulds on Eurosport are great. Joe Johnson is appalling and was even worse than usual on the China open recently.

Hendry on BBC rules. Dennis should retire - all he prattles on about are the players wives and that bloke from kasabian.

[narl]

Noticed maguire has another new cue, the one he's been using for the last (almost) year had a facesplice, this ones just totally black. Think i remember maximus or ton praram stating they were sending him one, trump apparently got sent one by maximus as well.

[kligu]

When reading all those complaints about commentators on English television I always wish we had just a single one who has as much insight into the game over here in Germany. Rolf Kalb has done very much for snooker in Germany. Maybe I was not playing or interested in the game if I had not watched snooker on Eurosport. But despite having been commentating for more than 25 years he still calls many flukes intended shots and vice versa for example. It's just so annoying! I am happy to listen to English commentators on Eurosport player.

[SnookerFan]

Thorne's tongue is so far up Selby's arse it's embarrassing!

At least there's a commentator who has a tounge up the arse of somebody who isn't Ronnie.

[SnookerFan]

Hendry is okay, but can get a bit grumpy when he's forced to watch player that he considers beneath him. Sometimes, if a qualifier has a good run in a tournament, Hendry will refuse to praise them. Instead he sits there and points out every weakness in their game. I know how great a player was, and how high his standards are, but it gets annoying after a while. Criticism can be warranted, but if it's given constantly and without praise, it gets a bit jarring after a while. Also he freely admits that he doesn't watch snooker unless he's paid to. I think Ronnie is the only player Hendry likes commentating on.

Willie Thorne is useless, and I'm glad the BBC got rid of him. He was another who never had a good word to say about anybody. He speaks with an arrogance that his way of playing is infallible. If a player plays a shot WT wouldn't have played, he loses his rag about it and won't stop moaning. At least when Hendry points out a players flaws is justified to an extent, because of all the tournaments he won. WT won bog all, his big claim is he makes a lot of maximums in practice, and yet he can criticise certain players shot selection on literally every shot. Even when it's proven to be the correct shot.

Dennis Taylor is a nice guy, and can be good value in exhibitions and things. But he's woefully misinformed about the game. Last year he claimed that it was the first time two Chinese players had played at The Crucible. This wasn't the case. As pedantic as it sounds, that's pretty much true of every 'fact' that he mentions. (Ie, he gets it wrong.)

But this sums up the BBC, for you. Aimed at people who only watch snooker on the BBC. There's no real incentive to fact-check because they know the part-time viewer will just take their word for it. Or to know anything about tournaments that are on ITV or Eurosport, because they assume fans watching at home won't have watched those tournaments either.

They've got rid of Everton, and don't use Neal Foulds any more, and instead use people who are former World Champions who barely watch the game when they're not paid. Bit baffiling.

Still, at least Phil Yates won't be commentating.

[blahblah01]

Listen to Thorne on Selby.....

Thorne's tongue is so far up Selby's arse it's embarrassing!

Not quite what I was thinking, lol, wrong side of body - are front and back sides?

[arsalanjami]

hahaha - I must hear Thorne on Selby now..

Fouldsy/Hendry - good team?

[Dave Walton]

Listen to Thorne on Selby.....

Thorne's tongue is so far up Selby's arse it's embarrassing!

[MrRottweiler]

Favourite two weeks of the year coming up. I'll miss Willie though.

[OmaMiesta]

Tough draw for Ronnie first round, Mags been playing some good stuff lately.

[arsalanjami]

I like Hendry he is pretty straight up. I guess you have to consider commentator teams as well; Who is your favourite team?

[blahblah01]

Davis and Hendry are OK to good, imho.

Thorne, (admittedly not quite as bad as) Taylor, Virgo and the wannabe Comedians are a pain and a half. I'm surprised a player hasn't rammed a cue down their mouths: imagine trying to work out or play a shot and the audience starts laughing at some half wit comment..... But the level of "expert analysis" is non-existent and they don't shut up!!!!!!

[thai_son22]

i dont mind thorne haha. i actually dont mind any of them.

i dont like yates but apart from that i can listen to the rest all day long haha. i know alot didnt like steve davis when he was joking about but i actually found it entertaining