You have skipped the navigation, tab for page content
HallOfFame

Graeme Langlands

Fullback, Centre

Player Bio

Inducted:
2008
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

Club
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

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

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

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

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

Hall of Fame Members

Acknowledgement of Country

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.

Premier Partner