[10] 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.

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

[14] 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.

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.

[18] At the end of the 1988 NSWRL season Langer was named the Broncos' player of the year,[19] then went on to score two tries in Australia's win in the 1988 World Cup final over New Zealand.

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.

For Langer to play as he did, after a week of hearing how St George must stop him, confirms he deserves to be talked about with Peter Sterling and Wally Lewis as one of the three best players of the past decade.

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.

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.

During the 1994 NSWRL season, Langer played as a halfback 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.

In 1995, Langer, along with many other high-profile players, lost their representative positions because they had signed contracts to play for the newly formed Super League.

He was also made captain of the Queensland State of Origin team in 1996 and was named by Rugby League Week as that season's player of the year.

[22] After a lacklustre start to the 1999 season, Langer announced his immediate retirement from rugby league mid-year, leaving many, including teammates, bewildered as to why.

[25][26] Also in 2000, Langer was honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia "for service to Rugby League football as a player at national and international levels, and as a supporter of charities, particularly those raising funds for cancer research".

[27] As coach of the Maroons for the 2001 State of Origin series, Wayne Bennett made a surprise selection of Langer – then still playing in England – for the Queensland side in the third and deciding match.

Some Sydney journalists, such as Phil Gould, questioned the state of Queensland's football talent, given that they had needed to "bring back 35-year-olds to win."

However, on the night Langer set up two tries and scored one himself, leading Queensland to victory only a year after they had suffered their worst ever State of Origin defeat.