On this day, 5th September 1976, the whole of rugby league was blessed when JOHN WOODS #858 made his Leigh Centurions debut.

Share your favourite memory of Woody here.

Far too many great memories of Woddy to share. What a player. Dessie too. Now if we had a winger and a half back of their calibre in our squad today, we would be unbeatable.

The greatest player to ever don a Leigh shirt. We will never see his like again. Absolutely brilliant and so unassuming. Some years ago I went to a builders yard in Astley for some sand and cement. Who is bagging the sand but John Woods. We started talking about the previous days CC Final in which the Paul brothers were exceptional and he was saying how good they were. I told him they weren't as good as he ever was but he wouldn't have it!! Anyway I drove him to our house to meet my lad and he signed his World Cup programme for him. Lovely bloke John Woods. Should be more stuff at LSV to recognise his career and genius.

I agree - the best Leigh player I've ever seen, and I've seen a few 'great' ones in my time. An absolute natural rugby player. Not only was he gifted with the ball in hand, but he was a superb tackler too and did more than his fair share of defending. Everything seemed so easy to him, including goal kicking. No Nanyn-style build up for him - the touch judges seemed to have to sprint behind the posts, to be in time for his kick! It was one of the saddest days in my time supporting Leigh, when John left - although his departure was inevitable, once he'd been appointed player-coach.

John was THE finest all round rugby player I have ever seen , he had everything a complete player , some say Ellery Hanley , but I once saw him play Hanley off Hilton Park , Woody scored 3-4 tries that day , and a very Modest man to boot , and a Butts Bridger , I have known John for many years he was good mates with my Brother at School , Leeds have Sir Kev , but Leythers have Sir John .

An away game at Leeds, at the end of the 1983/84 season........won 24-18, and John scored ALL 24 points!!

The Daily Star covered the game extensively at the time, and marked the players out of 10........hardly anyone got the perfect "10".......but they gave John "11" after his awesome performance!!!!

Known John all my life, Fellow Butts Bridger,went to Butts CE wth him,won his first RL medal with him when we beat St Josephs in Leigh Junior School final,Tommy Sale gave John man of match first of many.John was admired at all the clubs he played for a recent best ever Warrington team had John it it,but his best years were at Leigh and what a player he was,pure natural talent.

Just think how good he would of been today as a full time pro, but if you ask him he would not swop the era he played in for today,work hard play hard was Johns motto.

I loved the rumour of Murphy trying to get john to stop having a beer or two before games in the foundry, explaining to John how good he would be if he did. The rumour was John tried it had a couple of poor games and Murphy told him to make sure he had a drink before the next game - again only a rumour doing the rounds at the time

I am with Charlie on this one, he did everything - tackled well, step, pace, swerve, acceleration, kicked goals for fun - but many coaches said he wasn't a stand off, or should I say was a better FB or centre due to passing restrictions. My belief is that in todays SL era he would clean up at FB

One of my fondest memories was a young Shaun Edwards at Leigh watching John - great compliment

That rumour is absolutely true. According to Murph, he was one of those players who didn't need any 'managing' at all as he was a far better player when left to his own devices and if that including going out for a bevvy before games then that's what he was left to do. If other players complained about it, Murph used to tell that when they could turn up and put on a performance like JW, they could do it too.

I was out one New Years Eve with Woody in his brothers Wine Bar it was the early hours I said to John there was no way he was going to be fit to play later that day against Warrington at Wilderspool guess what he played scored a few try's and kicked several goals ,he told me the Wire winger tackled him and said bloody hell Woody you stink of ale Woody said to me he was,nt side stepping the defence but staggering around them LOL Woody was along with Alex Murphy the best Rugby player I have ever seen and I have,nt seen anyone better than those two since John had everything pace, superb tackling technique and a brilliant rugby brain he was superb and a brilliant bloke who will do anything for anyone in his day he was brilliant with the supporters always willing to chat & sign autographs ect when I was seriously ill in 1980 Woody came to the hospital a couple of times to see how I was top bloke a Real Legend then and still .....

Well not many fans go to games excited to see players in the opposition team, but the 'FC fans, especially those who went in the old Three'penny stand at the Boulevard, use to wax lyrical about him, and marvel at what he could do!!

He had just as big a fan club in West Hull!!!

Best Leigh born player ever imo. Mind you I only started watching in 1956.

John Woods was a fine fine Rugby League player. World class. Skipper, play maker, goal kicker, star man. The man who made Leigh tick in every sense.

Remember him playing the great Wally Lewis off the park in the early 80's. I also remember the game that Charlie refers to against Bradford Northern with a young Ellery Hanley as the games new Stand Off pretender. Woody ran him ragged.

Incidently there used to be a great photo in The Vol pub on Lord St taken a few years later with Woody in Warrington colours leaving Ellery Hanley for dead as he romped home under the sticks.

I once was speaking to the great Vince Karalious and John Woods came up in conversation. His conclusion?

" John Woods could and should have been the King of the world. He was happy to be the king of Leigh playing for his home town team"

Another memory I have of John , he was playing for Warrington against Leigh ,the Final score was a 7-7 draw , and Woody went the length of the field for a try for Wire , after the game I said "You should have tripped up of fell ", he replied "It did cross my mind ",





a 100 % Leyther .

Leeds away in the match that Joanne mentioned is my stand out memory of many brilliant ones. The bad bit was the coach getting bricked afterwards but it was well worth it! An absolute gentleman as well and probably the most modest bloke (given his talent) you will ever meet and a Leyther through and through.
The Board should make a Heritage shirt available for us all to buy with #858 on the front and WOODS and a number 6 on the back. I'd be in the queue to buy one straight away! Oh and we should have a statue of him at the LSV as well!

Remember woody going length of the field in last min against bradford away kicking the goal then from the restart leigh got a free kick and woody kicked the goal from the halfway line to win the game,the most complete player theres ever been and will always be GOD to us leythers

Very envious of those on here who are old enough to have seen Woody in his pomp. My first ever game was the one when he broke the pointscoring record against Ryedale York, but I certainly wasn't old enough at the time to appreciate what a good player he was.

Floodlit trophey game in the middle of the week in the snow I think it was at the boulovard hull.got the ball under his own sticks on his line dummied and gone.forgot who was chasing him but they had no chance.we won in a very low scoring game

I remember him scoring a 90 yarder at the Boulevard, and going around John Newlove.........See ya later!

Leigh's greatest ever player who was born with natural talent but can't compare to ellery who is arguably the greatest ever.

I remember that game we actually went top of the league that night, great memories and lets not forget our other superstar in des Drummond.
Great time to support leigh

seen woody go round ellery a few times and never seen ellery kick a goal from the halfway line to win games plus ellery didnt play in many bad teams were there was no money available to buy the best players,so woody has to be the best all round player in my opinion

That's cause he didn't kick goals

thats why woody is the most complete player plus ellery couldn't pass that great either but thats splitting hairs because ellery was one of the best but not quite the best

Used to see Woody at the waterworks working at the side of Lilford park in the 80's on my way home from school. Always chatted to us, even gave us a tour down the sewers there. Then later in life he was on the same dart team as me..not a bad thrower...a better drinker though