Graeme Langlands
Fullback, Centre
Player Bio
- Honoured:
- 1991
- Date of Birth:
- 02 September 1941
- Birthplace:
- Wollongong, NSW
- Nickname:
- Chang
- Debut Team:
- Country Firsts
- Date:
- 12 May 1962
- Opposition:
- City Firsts
- Venue:
- Sydney Cricket Ground, NSW
- Representative:
- Country, City, New South Wales, Australia
- Clubs:
- Wollongong, St George Dragons
Career
Milestones
- Premierships: 1963-66
- Kangaroo Tours: 1963-64, 1967-68
- Australian captain: 15 Tests
- NSWRL Player of the Year: 1971-72
- Sun-Herald Best and Fairest: 1970
- Grand Final man of the match*: 1964
- Australian Rugby League Team of the Century: 2008
- New South Wales Team of the Century: 2008
- NSW Country Team of the Century: 2008
- Immortal: 1999
- Rated No. 5 in Rugby League Week’s Top 100 players: 1992
- Named in NRL Team of the 1960s: 2006
- Named in NRL Team of the 1970s: 2005
Playing
- First Class Games
- 425
- Points
- 2694
- Tries
- 170
Biography
In 1962, the two NSW Country fullbacks for the annual games against City were the dazzling Newcastle player, Les Johns, in the firsts, and a 20-year-old from Wollongong.
When Johns had to pull out of the NSW team, the Country Seconds fullback replaced him. ''Don't worry about this kid,'' said the NSW captain Tony Paskins, ''he could be even better [than Johns]''.
The kid was Graeme Langlands, who over the following 13 years would build one of league's greatest careers.
He moved to St George in 1963, and was Saints' fullback in the grand final; for Australia, with Ken Thornett at the back, he was a centre.
Langlands starred on that year's Kangaroo tour, partnering Reg Gasnier, and his 20 points scored in the second Test tied the Ashes record.
Langlands' nickname of ''Changa'' was as well-known as his prodigious sidestep.
He was Saints captain from 1970 to 1976, captain-coach from 1972, first-choice Australian captain from 1970 to 1975, and captain-coach of the 1973 Kangaroos.
''If Johnny Raper was the greatest of the Moderns, as most people seem to agree, then Langlands can't be far behind,'' declared Rugby League News in 1972.
Ken McCaffery described him simply as ''the best of them all''. In 1999, he and Wally Lewis became the game's fifth and sixth ''Immortals''.
Australia won the series-deciding third Ashes Test of 1974 at the SCG, on the back of a stirring second-half performance from the captain. When the crowd, seemingly every man and woman, began chanting, ''Changa! Changa!'' ... perhaps that was the greatest tribute of them all.
“He was one of the greatest competitors who ever played the game. Playing in the same side as him was inspirational.”
Arthur Beetson Immortal
Graeme Langlands - Hall of Fame
Career Stats
Club Career
| Team Name | Competition | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wollongong | Illawarra Competition | 1961 | 1962 | - | - | - | - | - |
| St George Dragons | Premiership | 1963 | 1976 | 227 | 86 | 648 | - | 1,554 |
| St George Dragons | Official Pre-Season | 1963 | 1976 | 54 | 12 | 140 | - | 316 |
| St George Dragons | Touring Sides | 1963 | 1963 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| St George Dragons | State Cup | 1964 | 1965 | 3 | 3 | 4 | - | 17 |
| St George Dragons | Amco Cup | 1975 | 1975 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 3 |
Representative Career
City - Country
| Team Name | Opponent | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country Firsts | City Firsts | 1962 | 1962 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| City Seconds | Country Seconds |
1963
1965 |
1963
1965 |
2 | 1 | 6 | - | 15 |
| City Firsts | Country Firsts |
1967
1972 |
1970
1973 |
6 | 5 | 32 | - | 79 |
State
| Team Name | Competition | Opponent | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Interstate Series | Queensland |
1962
1975 |
1973
1975 |
33 | 19 | 40 | - | 137 |
| New South Wales | Touring Sides |
1963
1970 |
1964
1970 |
3 | - | 10 | - | 20 | |
| New South Wales | Tour Matches | 1965 | 1965 | 1 | 1 | 9 | - | 21 |
International
| Team Name | Competition | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Tests and World Cup | 1963 | 1975 | 45 | 20 | 73 | - | 206 |
| Australia | Tour Matches |
1963
1967
1971
1975 |
1965
1969
1973
1975 |
45 | 19 | 122 | - | 301 |
Other Representative
| Team Name | Opponent | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | Touring Sides |
1964
1966 |
1964
1966 |
2 | 3 | 8 | - | 25 |
Latest
Immortals
National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.
