John Lang (rugby league)

Infobox rugby league biography
playername = John Lang
fullname = John Lang

---

caption =
country =
position = rlp|HK
currentclub =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1950|11|7|df=yes
placeofbirth =
countryofbirth =
height = convert|5|ft|9.5|in|cm|0|abbr=oncite journal | author = | title = World Series | journal = Rugby League Week | issue =1975–1976 |pages = pg 85 | publisher = Rugby League Week Pty Ltd | location = Rushcutters Bay, NSW | accessdate =2008-06-07 ]
weight = convert|13|st|0|lb|kg|abbr=oncite journal | author = | title = World Series | journal = Rugby League Week | issue =1975–1976 |pages = pg 85 | publisher = Rugby League Week Pty Ltd | location = Rushcutters Bay, NSW | accessdate =2008-06-07 ]
club1 = Easts Tigers
year1start = 1969
year1end = 1979
appearances1 =
tries1 =
goals1 =
fieldgoals1 =
points1 =
club2 = Eastern Suburbs
year2start = 1980
year2end =
appearances2 = 22
tries2 = 2
goals2 = 0
fieldgoals2 = 0
points2 = 6
teamA = Queensland
yearAstart = 1972
yearAend = 1980
appearancesA = 19
triesA = 6
goalsA = 0
fieldgoalsA = 0
pointsA = 18
teamB = New South Wales
yearBstart = 1980
yearBend =
appearancesB = 1
triesB = 0
goalsB = 0
fieldgoalsB = 0
pointsB = 0
teamC = Australia
yearCstart = 1973
yearCend = 1980
appearancesC = 3
triesC = 1
goalsC = 0
fieldgoalsC = 0
pointsC = 3
coachteam1 = Easts Tigers
coachyear1start = 1981
coachyear1end = 1984
coachgames1 =
coachwin%1 =
coachpremierships1 =
coachteam2 = Easts Tigers
coachyear2start = 1990
coachyear2end = 1993
coachgames2 =
coachwin%2 =
coachpremierships2 =
coachteam3 = Cronulla Sharks
coachyear3start = 1994
coachyear3end = 2001
coachgames3 = 220
coachwin%3 =
coachpremierships3 = 0
coachteam4 = Penrith Panthers
coachyear4start = 2002
coachyear4end = 2006
coachgames4 = 125
coachwin%4 =
coachpremierships4 = 1
coachteamA = Australia (SL)
coachyearAstart = 1997
coachyearAend =
coachgamesA = 5
coachwin%A =
coachpremiershipsA =
updated = October 5, 2008
source = [http://rugbyleagueproject.com/players/John_Lang.html RLP] [http://stats.rleague.com/rl/scorers/players/Johnny_Lang.html RL stats]
new = yes

John Lang (born 7 November 1950) is a former Australian Rugby league test player and a former coach of the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League. Lang also coached the Cronulla Sharks between 1994 and 2001, and took the club to the Super League grand final in 1997. Lang also coached the Australian Super League test team in 1997, and although these matches are considered tests by the rest of the world's governing bodies, they are not given full test status by Australian Rugby League historians. In 2000 he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league.

Playing career

Lang was a hooker with Brisbane club, Easts Tigers from 1969 to 1979. He won three premierships with the club in 1972, 1977 and 1978.cite news|format=fee required|publisher="AAP Sports News (Australia)"|title=Factbox of John Lang |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-42263916.html |accessdate=2008-05-31|date=2001-02-23]

Lang was one of only two Queenslanders selected for the 1973 Australian Kangaroo tour to France. Lang also played a test in 1974 against Great Britain and again in 1980 against New Zealand. In 1975 he was a member of the victorious Australian team which won the Rugby League World Cup.cite news|format=fee required|publisher="AAP Sports News (Australia)"|title=Factbox of John Lang |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-42263916.html |accessdate=2008-05-31|date=2001-02-23]

In 1980, Lang accepted an offer from former Kangaroo team-mate, Bob Fulton, to move to Sydney to play for Eastern Suburbs. Lang played in the losing side in the 1980 grand final against Canterbury-Bankstown.

Although Lang played in nineteen state matches for Queensland, he also played for New South Wales in 1980. The inaugural year of State of Origin contests, only one match of three was played under state of origin rules and, as a Sydney-based player, Lang was selected to play in the first match, playing a starring role in the win over Queensland. He then returned to Queensland for the second, origin-rule match, where Queensland defeated New South Wales 20–10.

Coaching career

After retiring as a player at the end of his successful 1980 season, Lang returned to Brisbane to coach Brisbane Easts Tigers from 1981–1984 and again from 1990–1993. He won premierships with the club in 1983 and 1991 and runners-up in 1992 and 1993.

In 1994, Lang took over from Arthur Beetson as coach of the Cronulla Sharks. As part of Super League, lang took the Sharks to the 1997 Super League grand final against the Brisbane Broncos, losing 26–8. In the same year, Lang coached the Australian Super League team in five international matches against New Zealand (including a win in the inaugural ANZAC Test) and Great Britain.

Lang announced his intention to leave the Sharks at the end of the 2001 season before it had even begun, in February, but ti wasn't until late September that year that he signed with the Panthers on a three year contract. [cite news|format=fee required|publisher="AAP Sports News (Australia)"|title=Lang to quit as Sharks coach |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-42263647.html |accessdate=2008-05-31|date=2001-02-23] [cite news|format=fee required|publisher="AAP Sports News (Australia)"|title=Panthers sign Lang for three years |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-47116426.html |accessdate=2008-05-31|date=2001-09-25] Despite losing the first eight games of the 2002 NRL season, Lang was able to develop a side capable of contending for the finals. In his finest coaching achievement, Penrith defeated the Sydney Roosters in the 2003 grand final by 18–6, thereby answering his detractors at Cronulla who argued that the Sharks could never win a premiership under Lang.

The Panthers finished fourth after the 2004 NRL season, and were eliminated by the Bulldogs one game short of the grand final. Penrith narrowly missed the finals in 2005.

In February, 2006, Panther's CEO, Glenn Matthews, announced that Matthew Elliott would take over from Lang as coach of the Panthers at the end of the 2006 season. [cite news|author=Adrian Proszenko|format=fee required|publisher="AAP Sports News (Australia)"|title= Lang disappointed about broken pact |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-118707315.html |accessdate=2008-05-31|date=2006-02-20] The Panthers subsequently missed the finals and finished in tenth position.

The South Sydney Rabbitohs, in May 2008, appointed Lang as their football consultant, overseeing the club's structure and providing advice to head coach, Jason Taylor. [cite news|author=Paul Kent|publisher="The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)"|title=Jason Taylor: I'm not under threat from John Lang |url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/nrl/story/0,,23762618-14823,00.html |accessdate=2008-05-31|date=2008-05-27]

Lang was awarded the Dally M "Coach of the Year" in 1995 and 1999.cite news|format=fee required|publisher="AAP Sports News (Australia)"|title=Factbox of John Lang |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-42263916.html |accessdate=2008-05-31|date=2001-02-23]

Lang's son, Martin Lang, also played for the Sharks, Panthers, Queensland and Australia, and uniquely played his entire first grade career with his father as coach.

Footnotes

References

* cite book | author=Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson |title=The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players |year=2007
publisher="Gary Allen Pty Ltd" |location=Wetherill Park, New South Wales |isbn=9781877082931 |pages=page 300

External links

*StateofOrigin player|348|title=John Lang
* [http://www.nrlstats.com/archive/coaches.cfm?CoachID=189 John Lang at "NRL Stats"]
* [http://rugbyleagueproject.com/players/John_Lang.html John Lang at the "Rugby League project"]