Shaun Murphy has suggested that the enduring success of snooker's Class of '92 has impacted both his and his peers' careers. The trio, comprising Ronnie O'Sullivan, John Higgins, and Mark Williams , joined the World Snooker Tour together 23 years ago and have remained at the pinnacle of the sport. O'Sullivan boasts the record as the oldest player to win the 'Triple Crown' – the World Snooker Championship, UK Championship, and Masters – all achieved within the last three years. Meanwhile, at 50, Williams has reached a Crucible final after defeating four-time champion Higgins in the semi-final. Collectively, these three icons of cue sports hold an astounding 69 years of top-level experience, over 100 ranking titles, and 14 world championships between them. In conversation with BBC presenter Hazel Irvine, Murphy was asked if any other sport has seen such a high level of competition from players nearing or at 50 years of age. He responded: "No. John (Parrott) and I are big golf fans, the trio of (Arnold) Palmer, (Gary) Player and (Jack) Nicklaus spring to mind as three trailblazers in the world of golf. "But they weren't at the same age or stage of their lives or necessarily prowess either of these three. It is probably something that in the world of sport doesn't get the recognition that it ought to." Murphy then shared the high regard held for O'Sullivan, Higgins and Williams may have been a factor contributing to certain career disappointments for himself and others on the tour. He said (via the Express ): "All of us in the snooker bubble totally idolised the Class of 92, probably to the detriment of our own play every now and again. "But in the world of sport and the wider context, they perhaps don't get the recognition that they so easily deserve." It's a testament to their enduring skill, O'Sullivan, Higgins, and Williams all made it to the latter stages of the 2025 World Championship, with Williams being the last of the trio standing. However, he's hesitant to be mentioned alongside his peers. On the label, he told SportsBoom: "Yeah, I've never really liked it. But, you know, people like mentioning the class of 92, and I can't get away from it. "I've always said that them two they're the two best players in the world ever. Ronnie, by far the best, and John the second-best player ever for me, and I've always said that. "I don't really like being classed with them because I think they're much higher than me. I think Ronnie's probably the one who should be upset with the class of 92 because he's so far in front of me and John. "He probably gets sick of being in the class of 92, because he's in his own class. But, you know, people like mentioning the class of 92, and I can't get away from it." Despite Williams' humility, Murphy disagrees, and many fans would concur – especially if the Welshman can stage a comeback against Zhao Xintong in the World Championship final.