Ronnie O’Sullivan tells snooker rival to find a new career in brutal live TV putdown

RONNIE O’SULLIVAN savagely told John Astley to consider a new career as he ripped into his fellow snooker star on live TV.

The Rocket made his first appearance since pulling out of the Welsh Open with “stage fright” yesterday, fresh off the back of last month’s epic Masters win.

EurosportRonnie O’Sullivan still made headlines at the Welsh Open despite not playing[/caption]

EurosportHe advised fellow snooker John Astley to consider a new career[/caption]

However, while working as a pundit for Eurosport, he watched the world No78 Astley lose his Welsh Open qualifying match against Mark Williams.

The scores were level when the former missed a shot at the final red and, if that disappointment was not enough, there was more misery in store.

O’Sullivan was asked what he would have done in that situation, and he did not hold back.

He said: “He ain’t got a snooker brain really, has he? That’s what it is.

“Some people are good at maths, some people are good at English, some people just have a snooker brain.

“Some people just don’t play the right shot, and they’ll never play the right shot because their brain doesn’t think like a snooker player.

“There’s a lot of fantastic players over the years that haven’t really, you’d be surprised, there’s some top five players, I won’t say names, that I don’t think have a snooker brain but they have such good technique that they can get away with it.

“He has neither. He don’t have good technique and he don’t even have a snooker brain, so he’s just going to make 30s, 40s, missed balls and never do anything really.”

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O’Sullivan added: “It’s unfortunate, but you’ve got to have one of the two.

“If you’ve got neither then maybe it’s time to find something else to do.”

Astley, who has spoken about his own mental health struggles, is struggling for form this season.

The 35-year-old’s last pro win came all the way back in September.

While some fans backed O’Sullivan for not holding back like some other pundits, others felt he had been too harsh.

One fan posted on X: “Huge Ronnie fan but no need for this.”

Another wrote: “Poor this from Ronnie. There’s levels & leagues to every sport, to rip someone apart like that is quite sad actually.

“John is one of the nicest people you could meet, he’s struggling a bit for form at the minute and this is the last thing he’ll need to see from a fellow pro.”

Another hit back with: “Can’t understand how people in these comments would prefer Ronnie to lie and just say he was ‘unlucky’.

“It’s awful technique and an awful decision, if he had potted it, there was no way he was getting on the yellow with the shot he chose.”