If there were any doubt remaining that Ronnie O’Sullivan retains a gravitational pull on the world of snooker, few moments hammered home the point better than Friday’s launch of this year’s World Snooker Championship when the seven-time champion became the story without even being there.

The first ball will not be potted in Sheffield until Saturday morning and the first headline has been generated by a player not in action until Tuesday. When the traditional photo of the world’s top 16 took place as usual outside the Crucible on Friday afternoon it did so without two of the sport’s biggest names in O’Sullivan and Judd Trump.

Both were a no-show at the press event that the seeded players are contractually obliged to attend, with the reasons for their absence unclear. It could yet lead to disciplinary action from the authorities: not that either will be hit too hard financially. But the absence of O’Sullivan in particular shifted the entire mood going into the event.

The long-term deal to keep the tournament at the Crucible was no longer the talking point. Nor was the fact the defending champion, Zhao Xintong, arrives as undisputed favourite to defend his title at the kind of odds with bookmakers not seen since the days of Stephen Hendry’s dominance in Sheffield in the 1990s.

It is safe to say the absences did not go down well in some quarters. “I think it’s become normal that they don’t turn up for these types of things, but I’ve got no idea why,” the world No 8 and 2005 champion, Shaun Murphy, said on Friday.

“None of us are shocked by it. It would be more strange for us if they were here, which is saying something. 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 last reached the final in Sheffield in 2021, insisted the lack of O’Sullivan and Trump was a problem for the pair themselves, not snooker.

“I don’t know about image problems,” he said. “I think it might give those two a particular image problem … once the public sort of tag on to that themselves and realise that two of the biggest stars of the game weren’t here when everyone else has made the effort to be here. It’s a strange one.”

All of this is happening at an interesting time for snooker. Even the most passionate O’Sullivan fan would admit the game cannot afford to lean on him for headlines for ever with the first of his world titles won 25 years ago. The emergence of new stars is long overdue, which is in turn what made Zhao’s run to the title 12 months ago so historic, as well as him being China’s first world champion.

There are a record 11 Chinese players in the 32-man field this year with Zhao getting under way against Liam Highfield on Saturday morning. But it is what is happening closer to home could be just as important for snooker – which has been in desperate need of new generational talent for quite some time.

It may well be too early to say that has happened, but two young Yorkshiremen catch the eye. Halifax’s Stan Moody and York’s Liam Pullen are rivals from the junior circuit but at the ages of 19 and 20 respectively, have qualified for the first time. Throw in 22-year-old Antoni Kowalski, who becomes Poland’s first Crucible star, and perhaps there is hope.

“So much has been spoken about the Chinese, they’re doing wonders for the game,” Mark Allen, the world No 14, says. “But it’s nice to see a few coming through from over here. It would be nice to see Liam and Stan doing well. The strength in depth of the game is great now.”

Murphy, who mentored Moody earlier in his career, agrees. “You’ve seen the Chinese invasion of snooker coming for a long time,” he says. “They’ve been on their way for 20 years now and we’ve been holding firm, saying there are some kids on the way.” Can a successful run for one of Moody or Pullen inspire a Luke Littler-style effect for snooker and attract more youngsters to the game in the United Kingdom?

“I think when you see something, you believe it,” Murphy says. “If you see one of your own, in terms of age, doing something you think, I can do that. There’s definitely something in that.”

But for now, all eyes will still gravitate towards one man when the action gets under way this weekend – or Tuesday, to be precise, when O’Sullivan starts against the qualifier He Guoqiang. But for the first time in a long time, there are shoots of optimism that a new generation of snooker stars from around the world are ready to seize the moment. Whether they can wrestle the eyes of the world away from the seven-time world champion is another question.