Top Rugby League Players of All Time www.thetoptens.com/top-10-rugby-league-players/ John Woods # 26 Lee Briers not even on the list.

Top Rugby League Players of All Time www.thetoptens.com/top-10-rugby-league-players/ John Woods # 26 Lee Briers not even on the list.

John Woods was a Leigther through and through. He used to walk to Hilton Park on match days.
He was virtually retired when he played at Wilderspool.

He turned his back on domestic success but was well decorated internationally. He was a rugby league version of Matt Le Tissier.

Briers has TS to thank for his domestic fortune, his international honours speak volumes.

He ain't like a Parry Gordon or Mike Gregory to me.
Those two guys gave everything they had every time they played during their career at Warrington.
Lee Briers didn't.
To many with short memories. Thank you Lee for the 4 great seasons under TS and playing your part in the CC successes.
Before then I will reserve my thoughts to myself.

John Woods was THE finest all round rugby player , I have ever seen , he had everything ,he had speed , could kick tactically and kick goals , had a superb side step , could tackle , score tries from anywhere on the field , and was a Butts Bridger and Manc Roader to boot .He played most of his career in an Average Leigh side , but look at his wcoring record , in todays game he would be priceless.Charlie knows .

What I don't get is all this started with people saying Warrington had a side ready to kick on and dominate rugby league in place of Wigan, with the best pack we have ever had, but Andy Gregory left and then we fell away. Andy Gregory leaving was the difference supposedly.

But we replaced Gregory with one of the game's greats in John Woods and rapidly became a mid table mediocre side.....despite also adding Des Drummond

So regardless of Woods, Gregory or whatever does anybody have any explanation for why the sudden decline?

I think the crux of the problem for the Wires team of 86-89 was that they could beat anyone on their day (I happen to think if the touring kangaroos of 86 had given us a game, they'd have got the shock of their lives) but, despite having some wonderful players in their side, they had a habit of descending to the opposition's level. I can certainly remember that team turning in some abject performance at Barrow, Salford and Featherstone to name three.

Tony Barrow & Les Boyd as assistant turned us round and inspired some fantastic performances but if, for example, Graham Lowe had been our coach instead of Wigan's perhaps we'd have hit greater heights with that squad.

Who knows. Seeing those players in the P&B was worth the odd 11-10 defeat at Barrow anytime.

So basically, no different from the Van der Velde and Cullen eras.

VDV/Cullen side had no comparison to Phil Blake and the Boyd pack IMO