Allan Langer

Allan Jeffrey "Alfie" Langer AM (born 30 July 1966) is an Australian former multi-award-winning rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s and worked as an assistant coach for the Australian national team, the Queensland Maroons and the Brisbane Broncos.

He was one of the pre-eminent s of his era, representing Australia on many occasions and holding the record for most State of Origin appearances, until being surpassed by his club, state and country team-mate Darren Lockyer.

The youngest of Queensland Rail worker Harry and mother Rita Langer's four sons, Allan Langer was born in Ipswich, Queensland on 30 July 1966.

He attended Ipswich State High School.

He grew up playing football at Ipswich's Northern Suburbs Tigers alongside his brothers and future Brisbane Broncos (as well as Queensland Maroons and Australian Kangaroos) teammates Kevin and Kerrod Walters.

This combination of players would become known famously as "The Ipswich Connection".

Langer was selected as an Australian rugby league schoolboy representative in 1982.

At 15 Langer's first job out of school was a truckie's offsider, delivering whitegoods.

He then worked for the council making roads, but continued playing football.

Coached at the Ipswich Jets by Australian former international Tommy Raudonikis, Langer was playing first grade when he was only 17 in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership by 1986.

He played as a for Ipswich and in 1987 opposed his older brother Kevin, who was of Wests.

That year his selection from left field for the Wayne Bennett-coached Queensland side in the 1987 State of Origin series was questioned by several key figures in the Maroons camp who called for the selection in-form Eastern Suburbs Laurie Spina.

It was Raudonikis who stood up for him, backing Langer's selection and he made his Queensland début in the 1987 State of Origin series while still playing for the Jets.

Paul Vautin claimed in his autobiography that during a team meeting, Bennett kept going on about where they were going to hide Langer in defense.

He was upset that no-one was defending him against Bennett's comments and so stood up and said "He's a Queenslander and won't let us down".

Langer's superb performance, including a man-of-the-match award in the decider, silenced the critics and saw him signed on with the newly established Brisbane Broncos team who would enter the New South Wales Rugby League premiership in 1988.

Coached by Bennett and captained under Wally Lewis at the Broncos, Langer developed further skill with the ball and learnt much from his mentors, and his two tries in Game I of the 1988 State of Origin series saw him named Man of the Match again.

He scored tries in the other two Origin fixtures as well.

On the 2nd Ashes Test of the 1988 Great Britain Lions tour which was played at Lang Park, on the electronic scoreboard the message "Bullfrog - shame our favourite No 7 isn't here" was displayed in a reference to Langer being overlooked for selection by Kangaroos team manager Peter Moore in favour of Peter Sterling.

Langer made his début for the Australian test side against Papua New Guinea due to a shoulder injury to Sterling.

This made him the first Bronco to earn international representative honours.

On 20 July 1988 Langer played for Australia in their record 62-point win over Papua New Guinea, scoring two tries.

At the end of the 1988 NSWRL season Langer was named the Broncos' player of the year, then went on to score two tries in Australia's win in the 1988 World Cup final over New Zealand.

Suffering a broken leg in 1989, Langer missed most of that season.

Langer's leg recovered to go on the 1990 Kangaroo tour.

Langer played most of his career as captain of the Brisbane Broncos, with whom he won the 1992 Clive Churchill Medal and Rothmans Medal, as well as four premierships and the club's player of the year award a record five times.

The Allan Langer Medal, which is the Ipswich Jets' player of the year award was named in his honour.

Alfie's Bar at the Broncos Leagues Club is also named after him.

following the axing of Lewis from the Broncos and later the retirement of Gene Miles, the diminutive Langer became captain of the Broncos in 1992.

Alfie then played in all three matches of the 1992 State of Origin series, scoring one try and kicking the match-winning field goal in Game II.

He also won the Wally Lewis Medal for being the best player in the Match.

He helped Australia retain The Ashes during the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand and also won the Rothmans Medal for best and fairest player in the Winfield Cup competition that season.

Along with Steve Renouf, Langer was the year's top try scorer for the Broncos.

He also steered his team to their maiden Premiership, winning the Clive Churchill Medal for best and fairest player on the field in the grand final.

Later in the year Langer also played in Australia's 1992 Rugby League World Cup Final victory, and captained the Broncos to victory in the 1992 World Club Challenge, the first time Australian premiers had won the title on British soil.

By this time Allan Langer's fame was such that he starred with his mother in the advertising campaign for Australia's top-selling bread and also had his own doll on toy store shelves.

The following season saw Langer again lead the Broncos to a Premiership, the first time a team which had finished 5th in the regular season had gone on to win the competition.

The years 1994–1996 were characterised by successive failures by the Broncos to win the Australian Rugby League Premiership.

During the 1994 NSWRL season, Langer played as a for defending premiers Brisbane when they hosted British champions Wigan for the 1994 World Club Challenge and lost.

Langer then lost his position in the test squad to Ricky Stuart after an opening loss to Great Britain in the Ashes series of the 1994 Kangaroo tour.