Graeme Langlands

The greatest points-scorer in the history of the St George club Graeme Langlands kept league crowds spellbound with his marvelous feats at club, state and international level. An Australian rep player for thirteen seasons the brilliant Wollongong fullback got his first big break with selection for Country Firsts in 1962 following the withdrawal of Newcastle's Les Johns because of injury. Langlands then represented NSW, the first of a record 33 matches for his state, before signing with St George in 1963 (although Manly offered more money). Playing the first of four consecutive winning grand finals he made his Test debut in the series against NZ that year. It was the first of 34 Test appearances for Langlands - a figure that would have been much higher except for a proliferation of World Cup matches. Langlands took part in three World Cup series; 1968, 1972 and 1975 (the last two as captain) but was ruled out of the 1970 World Cup with a broken hand. Langlands made the first of three Kangaroo tours in 1963-64 and played in all five Tests in the centres (Ken Thornett was fullback). In the 50-12 Second Test victory at Swinton that won the Ashes Langlands scored the then record 20pts (2t, 7g). Langlands was a champion goal-kicker, landing 7 goals in St George’s 1966 grand final win against Balmain and was the season's leading point-scorer in 1971 and 1973. Reports of misbehaviour on the 1967-68 Kangaroo tour were personally damaging but he bounced back to captain Australia in the First Test in Brisbane in 1970 before being ruled out of the remainder of the series with broken ribs. In 1973 Langlands made his third Kangaroo tour, (the last player to be selected as captain and coach of a touring side) and although he was injured in Australia’s First Test loss the Kangaroos went on to recapture the Ashes. 'Changa' Langlands was responsible for so many magic moments on the football field that it is difficult to detail them all. On one infamous occasion in the 1972 World Cup in France he was denied a try that was so freakish in its execution that it was disallowed because French officials felt that he must have been offside. When St George's 'golden era' ended in 1966 Langlands continued to inspire the club, teaming brilliantly with champion halfback Billy Smith. The two champions almost snatched victory from Souths in the 1971 grand final. Although Langlands had an exceptional will to win at times this manifested itself in a brash aggressiveness and lack of judgment. He often carried injuries into games and played beyond the physical limitations of his body. Critics called for blood when Australia faced defeat in the 1974 Ashes series against Great Britain but Langlands came back to inspire Australia to a magnificent 22-18 victory in the Third Test. In that match the Australian captain-coach became the first player to top 100pts in Ashes Tests and was carried from the field by his players with the huge SCG crowd chanting his name. It is best that he be remembered for this match rather than the disappointing 1975 grand final - a personal disaster that has been well-documented. Langlands continued on bravely, if only to erase the memory of that awful match, but retired in April 1976 - a flawed genius; a survivor, a legend. The greatest point-scorer in the history of the St George he later coached Port Kembla in 1980 but on his return to Australia from the Philippines in 1994 he was used as a skills coach and recruitment officer for Canberra. In 1999 Langlands was finally named as one of the post-war ‘Immortals’, joining former team-mates John Raper and Reg Gasnier in travelling through country NSW promoting the game. Biography, Larrikin and Saint (2001).