Paul Langmack, Bulldogs Premiership Forward and Former South Sydney Coach, Dies at 61

Paul Langmack, the Canterbury-Bankstown forward who won three premierships with the Bulldogs and later coached South Sydney, has died. He was 61.

The Bulldogs confirmed his sudden passing in an official statement on Thursday morning in Sydney, which was still Wednesday night in UTC reporting. Code Sports reported that Langmack suffered a massive heart attack that morning, was rushed to hospital and could not be revived. Fox Sports reported that he had been at the Breakfast Point Country Club gym for his daily workout when he collapsed.

Langmack was born in Sydney on May 10, 1965. He attended Patrician Brothers College in Fairfield, captained the Australian Schoolboys and signed with Canterbury in 1983, according to Code Sports and the club.

A Dogs of War forward

At Canterbury, Langmack became a key figure in the forward pack of the Dogs of War era. Across eight seasons at the club he played 174 first-grade games and won three premierships, in 1984, 1985 and 1988. The Bulldogs said he captained the club on 13 occasions and played a club record 84 consecutive first-grade games.

He represented New South Wales in four State of Origin matches, played for NSW City and played 10 tour matches for Australia, the club said. Fox Sports reported that he was part of the Kangaroos tour squad to the United Kingdom in 1986.

After leaving Canterbury at the end of 1990, Langmack played 137 games for Western Suburbs, where he formed a strong bond with coach Tommy Raudonikis, and finished his playing career with the Sydney City Roosters, retiring at the end of the 1999 season. Code Sports put his career total at 314 first-grade games in Australia, plus 19 matches for Halifax in England.

Coach, mentor and life member

Langmack moved into coaching after he stopped playing. He worked as an assistant coach at Wests Tigers, then became head coach of South Sydney in 2003 and 2004. Fox Sports reported that he coached the Rabbitohs across 35 games in those two seasons. Many fans also knew him from The Footy Show, where his Yesterday's Hero segment made him a familiar face. Code Sports reported that in 2016 he was diagnosed with cancer of the lymph nodes.

The Bulldogs nominated him for the Berries to Bulldogs 70 Year Team of Champions in 2004 and gave him Life Membership of the football club in 2011. The club said he worked with the NSWRL for many years, started mental health support programs for young people and for current and former players, and gave his time to many Bulldogs community programs in recent years.

Tributes from Belmore

Phil Gould, the Bulldogs general manager of football, led the tributes in the club statement. "I am devastated to learn of Paul's sudden passing this morning," Gould said. "Paul would contact me every day of the week about something to do with rugby league. I'm going to miss those calls and messages."

Gould said he was particularly devastated for Langmack's sister Diane, who has been his personal assistant for the past 15 years. "He was always thinking of other people. This is a significant loss to so many. A true Bulldog," he said.

Former teammate Darryl Brohman told radio station 2GB, via Fox Sports, that the news was terrible and that Langmack was a wonderful player who loved life. The Bulldogs offered their deepest sympathies to the Langmack family, his friends and his former teammates.