R.I.P Graeme Langlands

[getsmarty]

Rugby League Immortal Graeme Langlands dies after long period of ill health
Phil Rothfield, The Daily Telegraph
28 minutes ago
RUGBY League immortal Graeme “Changa” Langlands has passed away in his Sutherland Shire nursing home.

The Kangaroos and St George Dragons superstar had been battling ill heath for several months amid allegations of indecent treatment of a girl under 16 over 30 years ago.

Shocked family and friends were informed of Langland’s passing on Sunday morning.

Langlands, who played 45 games for Australia and 227 for St George, was regarded as one of the all-time greats of the game.

He was 76-years-old.

Lawyers acting for Langlands recently told a Brisbane court he was suffering from dementia and alzheimers and could not defend an allegation from the 1980s.

Detectives in New South Wales charged Langlands with six counts of indecent treatment of a girl under 16 in October on behalf of Queensland Police’s Child Abuse and Sexual Crimes Group.

The crimes allegedly took place on the Gold Coast in the 1980s, when Langlands ran a juice bar.


https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...h/news-story/da4798c26cedb168c7777a1eb63b3eea

 

[TomRedVRiver]

Disgusting that Rothfield had to include these allegations in an article on Changa's passing. A Rugby League Immortal and spent 3/4s of the article sidetracked with unsubstantiated claims. Absolutely no class.

Rest in peace Red V legend.

 

[getsmarty]

NRL NEWS

Graeme 'Changa' Langlands dies at 76
Author
NRL.com
Timestamp
Sun 21 Jan 2018, 10:55 AM

St George Dragons great and rugby league Immortal Graeme Langlands has died in his Sutherland Shire nursing home, aged 76.

The former Kangaroos captain played 45 games for Australia and was a key part of the Dragons' dominant team of the mid-1960s.

Langlands won his first premiership with St George in 1963, playing fullback, and starred for Australia in that year's Kangaroos tour at centre alongside Reg Gasnier. He won further premierships with the club in 1964, 1965 and 1966.

He captained the Dragons from 1970 to 1976, and led Australia from 1970 to 1975.

Langlands was named rugby league's fifth "Immortal" in 1999, with Wally Lewis named the sixth at the time.

In recent months Langlands had battled dementia and alzheimers and was unable face court on charges of indecent dealing with a girl under 16 over allegations stemming back to the 1980s.

Very sad to hear of the passing of the great Graeme Langlands. He spent many hours with me in W'gong as a 19yr old mentoring me as a fullback. RIP Chang, gone but never forgotten. pic.twitter.com/wMUWQPuf9E

— Garry Jack (@jimmyjack244) January 20, 2018
https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/01/21/graeme-changa-langlands-dies-at-76/

 

[Coffs dragon]

Simply the greatest player I've ever seen play the game.....RIP Chang

 

[Gareth67]

One of the very best rugby league players ever ! We were so fortunate that he chose to play in the Big Red V . As the book says , ' Never before - Never Again '

Rest easy Changa .

 

[kit66]

It's for better men than me to eulogise the great man but as a kid he was my hero and I missed him when he hung up the boots. Farewell to one of the best ever players of our beloved game of Rugby League.
RIP Changa.

 

[Dragons4me]

One of the greatest......no, probably the greatest player I've ever seen play the game. That he played for my Dragons made him No 1 in my view. Still have a small pair of boots that he autographed for me 20 years ago. I'm actually speechless right now. Deeply saddened. RIP. Don't know what else to write.

 

[Disinterested third party]

RIP. One of the greatest sidesteppers in history. Very great player. Vale.

 

[ST Tangles 01]

RIP Changa.
Unfortunately only saw him play once live as a young boy and it just happened to be the 75 grand final.

 

[St from the Gong]

My earliest Rugby League memory as a young lad is the 1972 World cup Final and the incorrectly disallowed Changa try of the Dennis Ward Kick. The French ref probably thought no player could possibly be that athletic and fast.

I also vividly remember 20th Sept 1975 - the white boots GF , my 12th birthday and my first Redv jersey

Vale Changa

SFTG

 

[Old Timer]

A very sad day indeed.
Actually like losing part of my self as he was such a hero for so long when he played and his playing deeds long discussed well after his retirement and still relevant today.
He was the inspiration for so many kids and everyone wanted to sidestep like Chang.
The greatest player I've seen wear the Big Red V and interestingly I never heard a player talk ill of him.
His footballing ability was a proven fact and anyone who picks this time to discuss anything other than his footballing skills should STFU.

 

[dragonssamy61]

Rip
Changa.
One of the greatest to play the game.
A red and white legend.
All the best to his family .
May you all get some peace

 

[getsmarty]

Vale Graeme Langlands
Author
Dragons.com.au dragons.com.au
Timestamp
Sun 21 Jan 2018, 11:15 AM

St George Illawarra are deeply saddened by the passing of Dragons legend and rugby league immortal Graeme Langlands.

Following a long battle with illness, the four-time grand final winning fullback passed away in his sleep on Saturday evening. Langlands was 76.

Born in Wollongong, Langlands first came into rugby league reckoning upon being selected for the New South Wales City Firsts and subsequently NSW firsts thereafter in 1962.

Joining the Dragons in 1963, 'Changa' went on to play 227 games across 14 seasons, and to this day is the most prolific pointscorer in the club's history (1554 points – 86 tries, 648 goals).

Langlands also made his debut for Australia in 1963 and went on to play 45 Tests – the fourth-most appearances by any player in the Kangaroos' history. So skilful a player, Langlands spent the first four years of his Test career in the centres.

In 1999, Langlands joined fellow Dragons Johnny Raper and Reg Gasnier as one of rugby league's immortals. In 2008, the game's centenary, Langlands was selected on the bench in Australian Rugby League's Team of the Century.

He was also awarded a MBE for his contribution to rugby league upon his retirement from the game and inducted into Australia Sport's Hall of Fame in 1986.

Funeral details are yet to be determined and will be communicated at a later date.

https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2018/01/21/vale-graeme-langlands/

 

[Dragon Revival]

Had a drink with him at the SCG when he was coaching the Souths full-back.
He was my favourite player. I said were you as wild as people said and he jokingly said we were worse with a wry
smile.

 

[Mickthedragon]

Rest in peace, legend!
A champion of the Red V that will never be forgotten and one of the greats.
Never got to see him play but dad has a jersey signed by him that will be treasured in the family forever.

 

[qld redvee]

so many awesome memories of this champion. One that I recall was a test at the scg with the crowd chanting "CHANGA CHANGA" shivers down the spine stuff. A true legend of the game , an immortal and to top it off a STGEORGE player. RIP CHAMPION and I hope you put a sidestep on St Peter at those pearly gates .. What a sad day today is

 

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

I'm speechless. Champion player..The Langlands side-step forever remains in my memory

 

[Drakon]

Shocked and saddened to read of Changa's passing.

He was my favourite player growing up with Billy Smith second.

I didn't get to see Raper or Gasnier play live but I regard Chang as the best player I have seen. I have memories of seeing him sidestep through a whole team, of toe poking goals from the sideline, of kicking duels with Eric Simms and Alan McKean at the SCG. And then there was the best try ever scored but disallowed in the 1972 World cup Final as St from the Gong pointed out.
For some reason I have a vivid memory from Kogarah Jubilee Oval of seeing him chewing gum on the field at fullback, waiting for an opposition player who had broken through and just taking him head on - all in a day's work!

Thanks for the memories. You won't be forgotten.

It's a sad day and I've got a lump in my throat.

R.I.P. Chang.

 

[Drakon]

Graeme Langlands, rugby league Immortal, dies in Sydney nursing home
Updated 30 minutes ago

PHOTO: Graeme Langlands was living with dementia and Alzheimer's in a Sydney nursing home. (Supplied: NRL)
MAP: Sutherland 2232
Rugby league Immortal Graeme 'Changa' Langlands, who was capped 45 times for Australia, has died aged 76.

The former St George Dragons fullback had dementia and Alzheimer's and died at the Sutherland Shire nursing home where he was living.

He is one of only eight rugby league Immortals.

He captained the Dragons from 1970 to 1976 and was captain of the Kangaroos from 1970 to 1975.

In November 2017 he was charged with six counts of indecent dealings with a girl under 16, dating back to the early 1980s on the Gold Coast.

His lawyer argued he was unfit to stand trial due to his "poor state of health" and significant cognitive impairment.

In December, the matter was adjourned until March this year so an application could be made for the case to be heard in the Mental Health Court.

NRL CEO Todd Greenberg said the "rugby league world has lost a giant" with the passing of Langlands.

He was a key player for the Dragons during the team's dominance of the competition in the mid-1960s, and made the fourth-most appearances by any player in Kangaroos' history.

He was also awarded a MBE for his contribution to rugby league upon his retirement from the game and inducted into Australia Sport's Hall of Fame in 1986.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-21/rugby-league-immortal-graeme-langlands-dies/9346914

 

[hewi]

RIP Changa.
Unfortunately only saw him play once live as a young boy and it just happened to be the 75 grand final.

Me to, I left the game in tears. RIP. Simply the best.