Snooker Column: Nick Metcalfe on Ronnie O'Sullivan hype being off the charts ahead of Crucible

The World Championship will have a tantalising narrative - can O'Sullivan make it 8-8-8?

Ronnie O'Sullivan told a radio reporter after his semi-final victory at the Masters that he "wishes I hadn't mentioned that stupid thing" over his aims to reach a Triple Crown tournament record of 8-8-8 wins this season, and then asked us to "sack that one please".

Sorry Ronnie, I think you know deep down there's absolutely no chance of that. Now O'Sullivan has claimed his eighth Masters title – beating Ali Carter in a compelling final at Alexandra Palace on Sunday – to go with the eighth UK Championship crown he won last month, the narrative going to Sheffield for the World Championship in the spring will be tantalising.

O'Sullivan couldn't win an eighth world title as well, could he? I've never believed Crucible verdicts in January are of enormous worth. There's a lot of snooker to be played in the next three months – although maybe not by O'Sullivan judging by his comments on Sunday night – and much can change over the weeks to come. But I'll say one thing for sure, it's not that hard to visualise it happening.

With O'Sullivan, it's right to look at the whole picture most of the time. The three decades and change I mean. The youngest UK winner at 17 in 1993 and the oldest at 47 in 2023. The youngest Masters winner at 19 in 1995 and now the oldest at 48 in 2024. It's outrageous stuff. Mind-boggling.

But I want to park the longevity for a moment and focus on this 2023/24 campaign. What he's doing right now as he closes in on his fifties is stunning. There hasn't been a player with a chance to win all three Triple Crown events in a season since Mark Selby more than a decade ago. O'Sullivan will go to south Yorkshire with the chance to complete the set for the first time in his career.

If somebody had told you in the summer that Judd Trump would win three ranking tournaments in a row but not be the player of the season so far come January, it would have boiled your brain.

You get the feeling with O'Sullivan that he's doing it from memory half the time now. I'm not convinced he's even playing especially well by his lofty standards. But what he is doing by and large is knuckling down and grinding where necessary – massively underrated O'Sullivan qualities for me – and then producing those moments of inspiration and genius when he needs them most.

The build-up to every World Championship is always strong, but believe me this one will be off the charts. And that's down to the evergreen O'Sullivan. We have much to look forward to.

Murphy's timing means doubling up as player and pundit is up for debate again

Shaun Murphy says he's "getting sick and tired" of being criticised for being a television commentator and pundit in tournaments he's playing in. And in fairness, this is now ground that has been well and truly trodden.

The reason it's a topic again however is purely down to specifics over timing. Murphy was a pundit in a BBC TV studio at past midnight, when he had a semi-final against O'Sullivan starting the following lunchtime.

And it's not just the media (doing our jobs correctly) or those on social media chiming in to question that approach. Plenty of players have too, including all-time great Mark Williams.

As it happens, I don't really want to make this all about one individual. That doesn't feel entirely fair, especially when so many now double up with playing and punditry duties. Mark Allen just this week for example. Also, it's hardly a new thing. Dennis Taylor started commentating in the 1980s when he was still in his pomp.

My concern isn't really over preparation time either. Murphy and others are right to suggest they're in a far better place than any of us to know how it affects their build-up to matches. Indeed, Murphy insists his TV work has actually been a help to him.

I suppose it's more instinctual for me. I've never really been a fan of it on principle. Once you're knocked out, fine. Natter away on the box to your heart's content. Until then, it feels like you've got too much skin in the game.

If Andy Murray had popped up working during the BBC's Wimbledon coverage in the years when he always challenged to win it – commenting on the likes of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic – I'd have been similarly uneasy.

I would like to add while I've got your attention that I think Murphy is a fabulous addition to the BBC team. He is authoritative, shrewd and warm. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he follows in the footsteps of David Vine and Hazel Irvine to one day become the BBC's lead snooker presenter.

Also, there's not really a right or wrong answer with this one and perhaps in time we'll need to "pull ourselves in" as Murphy has demanded. Equally, I do understand why people are asking the questions. And they probably will come the Crucible too.

Ally Pally has its flaws but on the whole it's been brilliant for snooker

O'Sullivan referred to Alexandra Palace as cold, dirty and disgusting during the tournament.

The honest reality is there are flaws with Alexandra Palace. Show me a 150-year-old building that doesn't have them.

The location can feel remote, especially in the depths of winter. Parts of the building are chilly. Wasps and insects disturbed pretty much every match again this year. The seats are almost as uncomfortable as being on a no-frills airline.

But all that said, the good outweighs the bad for me – and many times over. More than two thousand people pack into the arena for every match and it looks an absolute picture. The atmosphere generated there is terrific. As others have rightly said, it will definitely make television watchers rush to book tickets for next year.

The World Snooker Tour have done a decent job keeping fans entertained between frames in the public areas. There are far more and varied food options now.

And the venue does have the grandest of histories – it's pretty much the birthplace of television for one thing – and genuine resonance. Even after the umpteenth trek up that hill, there's a feeling of being somewhere a bit out of the ordinary.

The Masters has been a top tournament for half a century, but it's not a stretch to say the move to this venue has strengthened its brand. Certainly compared to the soulless years of Wembley Arena.

Last year, people were talking about moving the World Championship to Ally Pally. Now apparently it's too dirty for a high profile event. As ever, the truth hovers somewhere between the two.

Alexandra Palace has on the whole been marvellous for snooker and this tournament now provides one of January's great sporting tonics. Let's not talk ourselves out of a good thing.

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