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.