Hi David, I’d like to start by asking you, after regaining
your place on tour, what have you learned since your first stint on the pro
Snooker circuit?
Not a whole lot really, I'm a bit more experienced but the
main thing is I believe in myself more and that has more to do with off the
table than on it. Just a more confident person than before.
You earned your new two year tour card after coming through
the Q School so, what do you make of the system, and what would be your advice
to any amateur looking at entering Q School in the future?
I think the q school has been a great success. You have 3 chances to prove you deserve a
place on the main tour. As a bonus if you qualify then you are match sharp for
the start of the season. You also get to play on a match table which is
important, you can qualify playing on club tables all year and then be lost on
the pro tour in match table conditions.
What do you think of the Flat 128 structure, and does it
help players lower down the rankings more than the old system in your opinion?
I think the flat draw is another step forward for the sport,
it's a much fair system but also quite cut throat. You can draw the world
number 1 in the first round or the draw could be kinder to you. With the ranking list been based on prize
money then it's obviously the fairest system.
Who were your snooker idols when you were growing up, and
who inspired you the most as a child?
When I started playing snooker as a kid, Stephen Hendry was
my favourite, mainly because he seemed to win all the time. But as time went on
I admired John Higgins and Ronnie o Sullivan the most. These 3 guys have
improved the standard for everyone else and have proved time after time to be
the best.
You’ve made a fantastic start to your second stint on the
snooker tour; reaching the Wuxi Classic Quarter-finals, the last 16 of the Paul
Hunter Classic and qualifying for the Indian Open, so how pleased are you with
your start to the season?
Yes I am pleased with the start to my season, reaching last
8 in Wuxi has a big step for me but I was disappointed not to play well again
Matthew Stevens in the last 8. I believed I could win the whole event which I
suppose is a good thing. I didn't feel out of place. I qualified for India by
beating Matthew 4-0, I get on great with him but that day I was very determined
to prove to myself I could beat top players like Matt.
Reaching the Wuxi Classic quarter-finals so early on into
your return must have been very pleasing, and a big breakthrough for you. How
did it feel to achieve that, and beat some well-established players on the way
as well?
Yes it was new ground for me but I felt I was capable of
getting there and even further. I don't mind who I play, I enjoy the challenge
of playing top players. It's a test where you are now and where you want to be.
Some players complain about the travelling involved in
Snooker, but as a relatively young player does it mean you can enjoy the
travelling much more and see the sights of the cities that the snooker tour
takes you to?
I don't mind the travelling too much, sometimes it can get
frustrating though. I like to see new cities so I enjoyed Wuxi and Shanghai
this year and looking forward to going to Delhi. New experiences are to be had
if you look at it the correct way.
What players do you most enjoy playing and why?
I enjoy playing all players. Quick or slow because either
way it's a challenge. If I had to pick I would say playing John Higgins, I won
4-2 against him but I really enjoyed playing shot for shot with him because I
respect him and his game so much. It was an honour playing him.
Are there any players that you don’t like playing, and why?
As I said there is not anyone I don't like playing but of
course everyone has a couple of players they struggle with and in my case it
would probably be Dominic Dale. He's beat me in 3 deciding frames but I enjoyed
the matches, they were all free scoring games.
What do you most enjoy doing in your time away from the
baize?
When I'm home I play football 3 nights a week and go to the
gym daily. I go out almost every weekend I'm home because I love seeing
everyone I’ve not seen in a while. If I sit in on a Saturday I feel I wasted
it. It goes against my belief of trying to enjoy the most of every day you can.
Do you socialise with many of the other players away from
the table?
No because I don't live near any of them. When I'm at
tournaments I'd go for food and hang out with some players but nobody in
particular. I get on with everyone on tour really so whoever is there at the
time.
When in your life did you realise that you could be a
professional snooker player, and was this always your dream?
I realised from the age of 10 or 11. I won the Irish under
18 when I was 13 and many other junior events. I reached the last 8 of world
under 21 aged 13 in New Zealand so I was competing with players much older than
me. I wouldn't say it was always my dream. I have always enjoyed competitive
snooker but I like a lot of sports and it’s hard to say which I like the most.
How nervous and tense do you get when you’re in matches, and
(sorry for bringing this up), but what were your feelings when you were going
for a 147 attempt during the Q School event this year, and how did you feel
after missing the final black?
I don't get very nervous at all. I've had a problem going
back a few seasons of not getting any nerves and my game suffered because you
need a slight edge to play at your optimum level. Now I try and focus and be
'up' for my matches. When I missed the black for 147 in q School it was
disappointing. I did not line it up correct and I knew it. I thought 'get up
and start again' but I didn't and then I missed. I was lazy mentally on the
shot.
How do you feel that snooker in Ireland is doing right now,
and would you say that it is on the rise or decline?
Going back 10/12 years ago we had 100 players in senior
ranking events and now it ranges between 40/60 so I guess it's got worse but
where it's really worrying is at junior level. I won an under 16 in 2002 and
there was over 100 players in the event but some of the junior events now have
only 12 players. I know the association are trying everything to revive it and
I hope they are successful. It would be a shame if it was to fade away.
How do you believe snooker is progressing as a global sport,
under the guidance of Barry Hearn and Jason Ferguson?
Yes it is growing at a rapid pace, all over Europe and Asia.
WSA are doing a great job and the game is being shown on TV so much more than
it used to be. I love travelling to the USA so I hope we can break into that
market someday. No players would give out about a tournament in Las Vegas would
they!!!!
Do you believe that you can win any of the main tour events
this season, having already shown that you can beat some of the games top guys,
in the year’s earlier events?
Definitely yes. I believe if you keep putting yourself in
positions to win then you will get the experience of later stages of events. I
think winning an event is a possibility for a lot of players on tour that don't
realise how good they are. The courage and believe to go from a last 8 to
winning an event is the difference between the top, top, top players and the
usually last 16 and last 8 players.
Do you think that the money list will be fairer list than
the points list, and do you think that either one benefits you more?
I think the money list is best. You could have a player who
is number 50 in the world and he needs a miracle to get into the top 32 on the
points list but on a money list if he gets to a final he could jump 20 places.
The truth is you can rise up like a rocket or crash down in no time.
Do you think that it is possible for all tour players to
finance the game of snooker, given the expenses that the players have to pay,
in comparison with the prize money that is given to a player that loses in the
early rounds of a competition?
I think this is the biggest test for players to get to
events is very expensive and a lot of prize money you earn go's on travelling.
You have to look at it positively, you can win a life changing amount of money
on any given week. Its high risk though as it can go wrong and it brings a lot
of stress with playing on the tour.
How much do you think that the amateur game has progressed
since you started out, and are there many more opportunities now than there
used to be?
I think the amateur game has got worse. Mainly because the
tour has expended and a lot of the top amateurs are now professional players.
You have much more opportunity to get a pro card than you used too and the
amateur game has suffered because of it.
Finally David, what are your aims now that you are back on
the pro tour, and still at the young age of 24?
I'm just trying to enjoy the game to be honest. I'd like to
win something which could take me to the next level but snooker is not the be
all and end all in life so I just gotta see how things progress. I'm hopeful of
doing good things in the sport but I will only play as long as I enjoy it.
I would like to thank David for taking part in this interview and giving his honest opinions on his game, and lots of big issues in the game.
I hope that you guys enjoyed the interview and are looking forward to lots of more interviews in the future and lots of other new features I've got planned for the future.
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