From memory, he told the board, he wanted to drop down a division. Don't ask me why.h He was still top notch at the back end of the 88-89 season. Imagine if Keith Holden didn't have plastacine knees, too. What we missed out on, ABSOLUTE CLASS. Also took about 2 seconds from putting the ball on the sand (remember that), to the ball sailing over the posts.

Ask him how he managed to carry the ball in the palm of one hand.

As earlier posted, John had his best years at Leigh.
However he was still a fantastic stand off when he joined us.
He was one of those blokes that had a rare grace about him, a brilliant player.

A complete points machine at stand off. Still holds the record for points in a match at Bradford Northern. He scored 36 vs Swinton in 1985.

There's a tale in "When Push Comes to Shove" about that day. After the match he had a couple of pints to celebrate and then drove back home on the M62. On the way he saw a blue flashing light in the mirror and thought, he was going to get pulled over and breathalysed and he had visions of losing his license. When they pulled him over all the traffic cops wanted was his autograph and to chat about his game that day. Since then he stuck to soft drinks after matches!

He only played a season and half at Bradford. Unfortunately he signed just after we'd let Ellery Hanley got to Wigan so we never got the best out of him. In the end we let him go to Wire for £65k.

His short balls to a rumbustious Mark Roberts still gets me misty eyed.

Don't get me started on Mark Roberts

, or I'll have a breakdown


I've already mentioned Keith Holden (another one we lost to injury at a ridiculously young age)
What a side we'd have had in the late 80's/early 90's if these 2 would have steered clear of career ending injuries.

John Woods was without doubt ,THE FINEST , MOST COMPLETE rugby player , i have ever seen, i have been watching rugby for 50 years ,and John could do anything ,run , tackle , kick ,score tries for fun , had a sidestep,speed , the lot ,if he had played for a TOP team ,he would have been a GREAT.

I know John personally to ,he lived on our Estate as a kid , was a mate of my younger brother,a true gent , still is ,he is very approachable, will talk with anybody, proud to say he was A LEYTHER,



Thank you for the Days John.

John Woods and Tony Myler in my opinion are the 2 best stand offs that britain has produced, their certainly the 2 best british stand offs that ive seen.

Great players create their own space, both John Woods and Tony Myler always had defences hanging back off them as tacklers wouldn`t commit to them in fear of getting stepped.

John Woods had the lot, that short burst of pace to take him past defenders, a great side step, a great passing game, superb vision and a great kicking game.

Big hands?

john woods= ledgend full stop.

Quality player. Seemed to just glide through defences in an almost effortles way.

Not sure about the drinking but me and my mate on arrival at Chicago airport when Warrington played Wigan in Milwaukee back in 1989 got told that he had sunk a few shandies on the teams flight over to Chicago. On landing at the airport he proceeded to serenade the Lady Customs officer whilst the paperwork was being processed. They still let him in though. Class player and a real gent.

Is John Woods related to the John Woods who has been playing amateur rugby for Leigh Miners?

Sheer class, probably Britains best stand off at a time when there were a lot of good stand offs in the game.

He made playing the game look so easy and a pleasure to watch. Pity we had him at the end of his career but he still cut it. Both him and Dessie in their time at Leigh were for many years thorns in our side.

Could have achieved a lot more in the game but I think he was just happy playing the game.

yeh R.B.A the john woods that playes for the miners is the son of the ledgend.

Class act who made the game look easy and effortless

A magician. Remember seeing him in the Touchdown bar after a match...never seen anyone down a pint of bitter quicker, well with the exception of my dad!

John Woods and Keith Holden were the best half back pairing I've seen. I've seen better stand offs than Woods (though not many) and better scrum halfs than Holden but they were the best pair I've seen

The best player I have seen in a Wire shirt - and he was even better at Leigh. Sheer quality and tough with it - never one to shy away from "the biff"!!

i still see him in Leigh , like me he is a Butts Bridger,a Great Player ,and a good all round bloke.

Me too - see him in the post office on Warrington Road every now and again. Top bloke is John.

John Woods was extremely slick. The coolest player I have ever seen playing for us. He could slide with ease through gaps in the opponents defence. His no nonsense approach to conversions was very refreshing at a time when other players seemed to take all day. Excellent ball handler and he frequently split defences with killer passes.

York 79

Mark Roberts...the best 2nd row I have ever seen paying for us. I loved him!

York79

All the super Benny Westwood fans will be on your case!!!!!!!But yeah Mark Roberts was a class act just never clear of injuries really.

Immense player, strong running and backed up really well. Pity his career was cut short.

Bit young when I watched him. I remember him kicking 4 goals in a soaked game against Leeds. Might have been 1989. 8-8 I think.