With Fergal O'Brien retired and Ken Doherty possibly entering his last season on tour, the emergence of young hopefuls Aaron Hill and Leone Crowley has come at just the right time for Irish snooker.
Hill, age 23, is well established on the pro circuit, having climbed into the world's top 50. And his close friend Crowley, four years younger, is about to embark on his own journey at the highest level - his debut pro match is against Neil Robertson in the Wuhan Open qualifiers on Monday.
Crowley could hardly have grown up in a better snooker environment as his father, John Paul, owned a club in Cork. "I first went in there at the age of eight, and after that I was playing every day," he remembers. "I suppose I soon realised I kept potting balls so I had a knack for it."
An outstanding junior career saw Crowley win the Irish national title at every level from under-16 to under-21. In 2022 he reached the final of the European Under-18 Championship and finished runner-up to Liam Davies. "That was the first time I felt I had potential for a career in snooker, because I could see I was in the same bracket as some very good junior players," he said.
Heading to this year's WSF Junior Championship in Morocco, Crowley felt confident about his chances. "I just felt good mentally and I knew my game was in the right place," he recalls. After topping his group, he saw off Ayaan Iqbal 4-0 in the last 16, then came from 3-2 down to beat Michal Szubarczyk 4-3. That proved his toughest test as he went on to thrash Amaan Iqbal 4-1 in the semi-finals and Kaylan Patel 5-0 in the final to earn a two-year tour card. "It was the best feeling in the world, potting the last few balls," he said.
Crowley has had plenty of help and advice on his path to the pro tour. During the build-up to that WSF event, he was making regular trips to Antrim to practise with the likes of Hill, Mark Allen, Jordan Brown and Robbie McGuigan. "Just playing with Mark in particular, you are bound to learn a lot," he said. "Whenever I make a mistake he talks me through it and points out how I can improve."
Like many other new pros, he has now moved base to Sheffield and is already training with Si Jiahui, Zhang Anda and other experienced players. "I have made a regular trips to Sheffield over the last few years so it's like home from home for me," said Crowley, whose main hobby away from snooker is weights and cardio exercise in the gym. "My dad and I are now sharing an apartment and we're ready to give it 100 per cent for the next two years."
