Neil Robertson publicly calls out WST with furious statement after Kyren Wilson cue incident

Neil Robertson has criticised the World Snooker Tour after Kyren Wilson threw his cue onto the table in anger following a frame defeat at the International Championship.

Wilson flung his cue onto the table after losing a frame in his second-round match against Liam Highfield, as referee Dai Liang was re-racking the balls.

While Wilson, who went on to win the encounter 6-5 in Nanjing, subsequently apologised for his behaviour, he has drawn the ire of world No. 3 Robertson.

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Neil Robertson slams WST and Kyren Wilson over cue incident

In response to the incident involving Wilson, Robertson claimed that conduct and integrity in snooker had “fallen off a cliff”.

“Obviously Kyren would like his time again and you have addressed it @TWSportsManager,” Robertson posted on X, tagging Wilson’s management team.

“But in general the sporting conduct in snooker is in the absolute bin and something really needs to get done about it.

“In other instances I’m seeing the equivalent of players launch their golf bag down as someone is about to make a putt and think it’s clever play if they miss.”

The Australian added that female referees were perhaps better equipped to deal with such incidents.

He added: “Seems the only referees in our sport who don’t physically have a pair are the ones who have the balls to call this behaviour out.

“The integrity of snooker has fallen off a cliff to 20 years ago.”

Wilson, for his part, expressed regret over the way his outburst appeared to be directed at the referee.

He told the World Snooker Tour: "It's a tough one, really. I've always been a fiery character, and I've always had that bit of a temper side in me.

“That's something that's made me a winner over the years, and I feel like that little bit of fire in your belly is the difference between a winner sometimes.”

Wilson continued: “The only thing I regret, it looked like my anger was outed towards the referee, so I actually bought him a cupcake before tonight's game just to say sorry, and it was nothing to do with him.

"I hold my hands up for that, but I'll never hold my hands up for how passionate I am about the game and my performances."

Kyren Wilson's and Neil Robertson’s high-profile matches

Wilson and Robertson have gone toe-to-toe in a number of hard-fought, dramatic encounters, including at the Masters in January.

Wilson edged Robertson 6-5 in a quarter-final featuring five century breaks, with the Australian fighting back from 4-1 down to lead 5-4 and force a decider.

Meanwhile, the Players Championship in March 2025 saw Wilson secure another tight victory over Robertson, again courtesy of a deciding frame.

However, beyond their competitive rivalry, their relationship has appeared mostly cordial, with Wilson labelling Robertson as a “fantastic champion” after their Masters encounter in January.

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