🐇 Paul Langmack | Rabbitohs Coach #25

Full Name: Paul Langmack
Born: 10/5/1965 at Parramatta (Sydney), NSW
Club Playing Career: Canterbury 1983-90 (two premierships); Halifax 1984; Wests Sydney 1991-98; Sydney City 1999
Representative Playing Career: City Seconds 1985; Australia 1986 (ten tour games, three tries); City Firsts 1986 and 1988-90; City Origin 1987; NSW 1987-88 (four games)
Club Coaching Career: South Sydney 2003-04

A gifted young athlete at Patrician Brothers Fairfield, Langmack also captained the successful Australian Schoolboys team in 1982, who thrashed the Junior Kiwis in both Tests on their tour of the Shaky Isles. Canterbury-Bankstown graded him while he was still a schoolboy, and he played lock in the Bulldogs' grand final victory over Parramatta in 1984. During the off-season he went to England to play with Halifax, and another grand final victory with the Bulldogs followed in 1985.

He moved to Wests in 1991, but his first season was riddled with a knee injury. He remained one of the Magpies’ most experienced players and captained the club until he was replaced by Jim Serdaris in 1994. When Tommy Raudonikis took over as coach at the club in 1995, Langmack was made captain again, and under the Raudonikis-Langmack partnership, Wests made the semi-finals. Paul was rewarded with a new three-year contract after winning the 'Dally M Captain of the Year' award. However, their relationship soured when Langmack criticized Raudonikis’ on-field tactics, and the veteran signed a one-year deal to play with the Sydney Roosters in 1999.

He only played in three NRL games for the Roosters and retired from playing in July 1999, after a career tally of 314 first grade games.

Langmack missed out on being signed as Wests Tigers coach in 2002, despite being the preferred candidate among senior players, with Tim Sheens getting the job instead.

He then signed with South Sydney to become assistant coach to Craig Coleman. Langmack was made head coach of the Rabbitohs after Coleman was removed before the 2003 season started. He was unable to lift them from the bottom of the table after winning only three games in his first season. The following season also started poorly and he was moved on after their round 12 loss to Cronulla, with his assistant Arthur Kitinas taking over for the rest of the year.

His older brother, Peter Langmack, also had a playing career, representing Parramatta from 1971-72 and 1977-78, and Penrith between 1973-76.