Ronnie O'Sullivan reigns supreme: Nick Metcalfe pays tribute to the Rocket after his sixth world title

• Ronnie O'Sullivan's career highlights and stats
• Richard Mann's tribute to Ronnie O'Sullivan
• Final report: Ronnie O'Sullivan 18-8 Kyren Wilson

Ronnie O'Sullivan reigns supreme in snooker again. And there's something poetic about this latest success.

A sixth world title for the Rocket has moved him level with two of his biggest heroes, Ray Reardon and Steve Davis.

Many of us weren't sure he had it in him to win the Sheffield marathon again, but O'Sullivan is once more the Crucible king, having dominated the final against Kyren Wilson and run out a comfortable 18-8 victor.

Stephen Hendry may still have one more world title, but for me this triumph further cemented O'Sullivan's position as the greatest to ever play the game.

The most UK Championship victories, more Masters wins than anyone else, and now top of the ranking titles table, with a 37th success under his belt. Not to mention the sheer style and effervescent brilliance of O'Sullivan. And perhaps the most decisive factor of all, his supreme longevity.

The span between Hendry's first and last ranking titles was 18 years. With O'Sullivan, it's 27 and he's still going strong. Hendry retired at 43. O'Sullivan has just won a sixth world title at 44. The debate may continue, but I've made my selection.

We saw so many versions of O'Sullivan at this tournament. There was his exciting flair against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh as he won 10-1 in record time. Application and discipline when it really mattered to edge out Ding Junhui 13-10. Determination and battling qualities against Mark Williams as he fought back from 7-2 down to win 13-10 and reach the last four.

And then what about his semi-final against Mark Selby? That match was worth a tome in itself. A remarkable sporting contest that went the distance, and pretty much had the lot, particularly the final session.

O'Sullivan gave every indication his head had gone as Selby neared the finish line, at times blasting the ball at a hundred miles an hour when in trouble, with almost no control over the outcome. Selby would later brand his efforts as "disrespectful".

But then we saw the other side of O'Sullivan when he was 16-14 down, and it was a thrill. He rattled off two frames in no time, showing us all the fearless excellence that has seen him stay at the top of the sport for three decades. He then knuckled down in the decider and saw off his old Crucible nemesis 17-16 for a wonderful win.

O'Sullivan the erratic genius. It was the same old story in a way, but no less compelling for that. And millions of viewers have been tuning in to watch this superstar on prime time television. A proper summer tonic for sports fans in the midst of an awful year.

It's fair to suggest O'Sullivan benefited from the lack of fans for the majority of the tournament. He pretty much admitted as much himself. He just seemed so much more at home without the distractions that crowds always bring with them.

And so to the final. Frankly, the important thing is that for most of the match O'Sullivan stayed in control of himself. It was only during the second session that he briefly threatened to unravel, seemingly struggling with that now infamous "cue action" of his.

But on the 17th and last day of the tournament, there was no messing from O'Sullivan. He meant business. Clean shaven, focused, relentless. When you combine O'Sullivan's matchless abilities when in the balls, his pinpoint safety game and overall desire to win, he just becomes so difficult to stop. As Wilson found to his cost over the weekend.

So how long can O'Sullivan go on for? Snooker chiefs will hope there's a good decade and more still to come from him. If a 54-year-old Nigel Bond can beat Judd Trump and reach the quarter-finals of the UK Championship, what sort of damage could O'Sullivan still do in the forthcoming years?

Nobody is better for business of course. O'Sullivan is pure box office. As far as the general public is concerned, he is by a long way the most recognisable face in the game.

And with the next World Championship just eight months away, who's to say O'Sullivan can't match Hendry's seven world titles sooner rather than later?

But really, for most fans, the truth is he hasn't got anything left to prove. We're just savouring this marvellous sportsperson while we can. He's still such a dream to watch when he's at his best, up there with the other magical entertainers of world sport like Lionel Messi, Tiger Woods and Roger Federer.

O'Sullivan is truly a snooker treasure. And there are plenty of chapters still to be written in his story yet.

More World Championship content

• Play the Ronnie O'Sullivan quiz
• World Championship final report
• Play the Ronnie O'Sullivan quiz
• Watch all the Crucible maximum breaks
• World Snooker: Top 16 profiles
• World Snooker: Full results
• Richard Mann's story of the snooker season
• Sporting Life exclusive: Neil Robertson interview
• Nick Metcalfe on a decade of World Championship finals
• World Championship memories: White always a People's Champion
• World Championship memories: O'Sullivan's finest hour
• World Championship memories: Higgins prevails but Trump grows
• World Championship memories: Joe Johnson: The biggest shock
• World Championship memories: 1984 World Championship stands out
• Crucible champions: Part one
• Crucible champions: Part two
• Crucible champions: Part three