Joe Perry: Advisory role with Neil Robertson on cards for future

Joe Perry is considering a future role alongside fellow pro Neil Robertson as he approaches the end of his own 31-year snooker career.

Robertson, though, went down 13-7 to Jak Jones at the last-16 stage.

“I think it’s something we’re going to look to pursue. I don’t think anyone knows his game like I do,” Perry said.

“I’ve watched him develop from a very raw, outstanding talent at the age of 19-20, to what it is now, which is arguably one of the best we’ve ever seen. But you also need help.

“Ronnie O’Sullivan is for me the greatest snooker player we’ve ever had, but he can’t win the World Championship on his own, he needs people in his corner helping him.

“I don’t know what they say to Ronnie, but it obviously works and I think Neil needs that at the big events,” the 48-year-old told the BBC’s Framed snooker podcast.

Australian Robertson, 41, has won 23 ranking titles during his career, but his sole world title was back in 2010 – a triumph Perry has no doubt he remains capable of repeating.

“Sometimes as a bystander you see the game differently. You don’t always see what’s going on out there from your chair. You see it from a very biased or negative point of view sometimes,” Perry continued.

“So if you’ve got someone that you can trust and he’s going to tell you the truth, then I think you can take that on board, and it can help you in the matches.

“And I think we’d definitely have that connection. Neil knows whatever I tell him is what I genuinely believe. He trusts me, he trusts my judgment in snooker, so I think it could be a good team going forward.”

Perry was once ranked as high as eight in the world, but is now number 28 following on from his victory over Judd Trump at last year’s Welsh Open – his second major title.

Helping the next generation

Despite that, he admits his willingness to put in the long hours of practice necessary is “waning”.

He said: “In terms of my career going forward, I’m coming to terms with the fact that maybe my best days are behind me. I’m struggling to put a few hours a day in and obviously results are going be affected by that.”

As well as being in Robertson’s corner when required, he is also keen to turn more of his attention to the younger generation of snooker talent.

“There’s a couple of spaces on the WPBSA board that are coming up as the tenures come up, so I’ll be putting my name in the hat again,” said Perry.

“My heart and love for snooker is at the grassroots. I don’t really like what I’m seeing in terms of new faces getting on tour, and how hard it is, even once they’re there, to stay on there. I think we could potentially lose lots of talent due to the system.

“I just want to see all the best players and the best talent given every opportunity to make it in the game and have a career like I’ve had.

“I don’t want to see them go and get a job at the age of 22 because it was too hard to break through. So that’s where, if I do ever get on the board, where my passion is and what I’ll be looking to sort of change for the better.”

Perry believes the depth of talent at professional level is higher than ever before, making the transition that much harder for young players emerging from the tour qualifying school.

And he thinks that reducing prize money for major events and putting what is saved into the second-tier Challenge Tour would be a sensible step.

“When I turned pro, there were guys ranked around 45-50 that I could beat and I was like a 16-year-old kid. That doesn’t happen anymore,” he said.

“Look at the people who are around 50 in the world now – you’re not going to just brush them aside when you get on tour like we could in yesteryear.

“The young lad who’s got through Q-School, Liam Pullen, is supposed to be a tremendous talent. Stan Moody looks great, he looks like he’s got what it takes to make it. But they’re going to find it tough and the step up is massive.”

Crucible protest was ‘weird’ experience

Perry found himself caught up in one of the biggest news stories at this year’s World Championship during his match against Milkins when a protestor entered the playing area and poured orange powder onto the table.

At the time, he told BBC Sport he was in “a state of shock” as the incident occurred.

Looking back, he has no doubt that it was the major cause of his eventual 10-9 defeat.

“I got off to a really good start, played really well in what was our first session. But then it was really weird to have a day off in between, and then come back to an empty Crucible,” he said.

“I was just flat, unable to get going and that was the case on the Thursday morning. I was 7-2 up, didn’t start well and there was nothing to sort of inspire me.

“We were on the clock as we’d been told by the tournament director that if we didn’t get finished before play started at one o’clock, we’d have to come back later on that evening.”

Despite that, he believes that no blame should be attached to World Snooker over the incident.

“In terms of security I’ve never, ever felt unsafe, it was just a complete one off and they did everything they could,” he added.

“It’s just unfortunately it was me and Rob’s game that was affected. But I think they coped admirably and the tournament in the end was a massive success. So it was just a tiny little blip.”

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