John Lang (born 7 November 1950) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and coached in the 1980s through to the 2010s.
[4] In 1980, Lang accepted an offer from former Kangaroo teammate, Bob Fulton, to move to Sydney to play for Eastern Suburbs.
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.
[4] In 2000 Lang was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league.
Lang announced his intention to leave the Sharks at the end of the 2001 NRL season before it had even begun, in February, but it wasn't until late September that year that he signed with the Panthers on a three-year contract.
In his finest coaching achievement, Penrith defeated the Sydney Roosters in the 2003 NRL grand final by 18–6, thereby answering his detractors at Cronulla who argued that the Sharks could never win a premiership under Lang.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs, in May 2008, appointed Lang as their football consultant,[9] overseeing the club's structure and providing advice to head coach, Jason Taylor.