Snooker Pundits Player of the Season
Features, Snooker News

Snooker Pundits Player of the Season

With the 2018/19 campaign at an end, there’s not much more to do other than to select the Snooker Pundits Player of the Season.

With an enthralling month’s long World Snooker Championship now complete, the next step is to enjoy a short break before looking ahead to the new season.

There’s still time, though, to reflect on the year gone by and, in particular, who stood out as being the most integral figure on the circuit from last June until early this May.

Several players enjoyed success on a regular basis with six in total claiming at least two ranking event titles in that spell.

Since last summer, SnookerHQ’s Player of the Month feature has seen a dozen different competitors remembered for their special efforts.

All that’s remaining to do now is for the esteemed panel of snooker pundits to choose their Player of the Season.

As you’d probably expect, the result was pretty clear cut.

Snooker Pundits Player of the Season

Neal Foulds – Former world number three; Television analyst
Vote: Judd Trump

“Judd Trump is my player of the season. A year ago this seemed unlikely with little evidence that his game was moving in the right direction.”

“However, a change of lifestyle and a realisation that the only way to succeed is to live and breathe snooker has paid dividends.

“Two ranking tournament wins and a Masters were good enough but adding a first world title was the icing on the cake.

“It’s been a long time coming but Judd’s journey from a precocious 10 year-old kid to eventually reach the top of the world has given a great deal of satisfaction to the the snooker fraternity.”

David Hendon – Eurosport; Snooker Scene Magazine and Podcast
Vote: Judd Trump

“This is the season Judd Trump truly came of age.”

“His attitude and focus was unstinting, and he proved he was capable of playing his best snooker when it really mattered – in the Masters final against O’Sullivan and the world final against Higgins.

“He put the work in and got the results. It’s hard to dominate with nearly 30 tournaments on the calendar but he is well placed now to add more and more titles to his CV.”

Michael Day – The Cue View
Vote: Judd Trump

“In the twinkling of an eye, Trump silenced critics and achieved the fabled career triple crown.”

“Eight years on from his UK Championship triumph he became only the fifth player in history to win the Masters and then the Worlds – snooker’s biggest two tournaments – during the same campaign; crushing all-time greats in both those finals too.

“After winning three ranking titles in total this season, may we see an even better Judd Trump moving on?

“Only starting life in his thirties later this year, who knows what this matured talent could achieve over the next decade or so. It could be his pomp.”

Nick Metcalfe – Metro Sports Journalist
Vote: Judd Trump

“Three players had tremendous campaigns – Neil Robertson, Ronnie O’Sullivan, and Judd Trump. But my Player of the Season just has to be Trump.”

“Winning both the Masters and World Championship, not to mention two other ranking tournaments, with such quality and style, will live long in the memory and could well usher in a sustained period of glory for the Bristol man in the sport.”

“This was a truly wonderful, coming of age, season.”

Hermund Årdalen – Snooker.org
Vote: Judd Trump

“Judd Trump had a great season before the World Snooker Championship, by also emerging victorious in the Northern Ireland Open, the Masters, and the World Grand Prix.

“Winning the world title with such an amazing level of play in the final makes him my choice for Player of the Season.”

Fin Ruane – WPBSA coach; Owner of CrossGuns Snooker Club
Vote: Judd Trump

“My player of the season is the new world champion Judd Trump.”

“Ronnie may have won a hatful of titles but Trump’s performance alone in the world final is up there with the best I’ve ever seen.”

“Even against an in-form and resurgent Higgins he literary blew the four-time champion away with his performance.

“Combine that with his Masters triumph in January and his previous UK Championship win, Trump is the latest member of the exclusive Triple Crown club and is without doubt my Player of the Season.”

Andrea Campagna – Eurosport Italia
Vote: Judd Trump

“It’s not easy to pick someone else over Ronnie O’Sullivan, who won five titles including his seventh UK Championship and got back to number one of the world rankings.”

“But Judd Trump won the remaining two major events, dominating O’Sullivan in the Masters final along the way.

“With four titles overall and after completing the rare Masters-World Championship double, Trump is my clear choice for Player of the Season.”

Christian Oehmicke – Break-Off.com
Vote: Judd Trump

“I don’t think that there is a more obvious choice than picking Judd Trump as the Player of the Season.”

“While you would find arguments in favour of Ronnie, Robbo, or even Mark Allen, given the way the World Championship went, it can only be Judd.

“He won the Masters and the World Championship in a brilliant manner, beating legends of the sport in both finals.

“Not only did he complete the Triple Crown, he did so by proving all the critics wrong and by pushing the game to a new level.”

Alexander Jerrard – Cluster of Reds
Vote: Judd Trump

“This nomination is for far more than just winning the World Championship.”

“It is Judd Trump’s transformation as a player over the course of this season that makes it for me.

“Since his 6-1 loss to Kyren Wilson in the Champion of Champions, he has become a more complete player.

“His safety play, concentration, and B-game have all improved tenfold and that earned him two other ranking titles and a Masters trophy, before finally becoming a Triple Crown winner at the Crucible. Superb!”

Gary Moss – Snooker Blogger
Vote: Judd Trump

“It has to be Judd Trump. He has taken his game to the next level and with it won the Masters and the World Snooker Championship.”

“His performance in the final to win his maiden Crucible crown is probably the best we have ever seen and he now goes into next season as the man to beat.”

Ron Florax – Cue Tracker
Vote: Judd Trump

“My Player of the Season has to go to Judd Trump.”

“He finally realised his potential and did what I never thought he’d do: he won the World Championship.

“I’d like to also give an honourable mention to Jack Lisowski for starting to show what many have said he’s capable of, and to the legend that is MJW for his fantastic year as world champion!”

Many thanks to all of those who contributed to this series throughout the season.

One Comment

  1. Peter Farrelly

    Would anyone agree that the change in Judd’s attitude started after he gave a TV interview moaning about the media claiming that Kyren Wilson was a “better prospect”?

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