Shaun Murphy has taken a rare public swipe at fellow stars Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump, accusing the pair of damaging snooker by skipping the traditional pre-World Championship media day at the Crucible.
The former world champion was one of many players who dutifully turned up in Sheffield for interviews and the tournament's customary photo shoot. O'Sullivan and Trump, however, were nowhere to be seen — sparking frustration from a rival who has long bristled at the two biggest draws in the sport treating promotional duties as optional.
"I think it's become normal that they don't turn up for these types of things," Murphy said. "I think it's a real shame, and they probably could both have done a little bit more to help promote the game over the years."
Murphy, who won the world title in 2005 and remains one of the sport's most articulate voices, made clear he believes the absence sends the wrong message to supporters who pay to follow the game.
"I think it might give those two an image problem when the public tag onto that and realise that two of the biggest stars of the game weren't here for the opening day," he said. "It's a strange one."
The comments tap into a long-running debate inside snooker about the obligations of its marquee names. O'Sullivan, a seven-time world champion chasing a record-breaking eighth, has openly questioned the tour's schedule and the Crucible's cramped conditions in recent years. Trump, the 2019 world champion and one of the most consistent performers on tour this season, is another who has periodically clashed with governing bodies over appearance and promotional commitments.
Neither player has publicly responded to Murphy's remarks. Both are still expected to feature in their first-round matches at the Crucible, with O'Sullivan drawn against China's He Guoqiang — the same player who stunned him at the 2024 English Open — and Trump opening his campaign in the bottom half of the draw.
Sky Sports and other broadcasters lean heavily on the media day to gather preview content that runs throughout the 17-day tournament. Organisers had hoped this year's edition would generate maximum promotional noise, particularly after a turbulent 12 months of debate over the Crucible's long-term future and a looming push from Chinese investors to host the championship elsewhere.
For Murphy, the bigger worry is precedent. If two of the most recognisable faces can skip a key commercial commitment without consequence, he suggests, the tour risks hollowing out the kind of coverage that grows its audience.
"It's a strange one," he repeated, a line that summed up a quiet but pointed rebuke from inside the locker room.
With play now under way in Sheffield, attention will quickly turn back to the baize. But Murphy's words — the first public criticism of the no-show from a peer — may linger long after the first-round matches are over.