Rugby League: Alf the great just keeps on keeping on

BRISBANE - Captain Gorden Tallis believes Brisbane's chase for a sixth NRL premiership will determine whether champion halfback Allan Langer plays again next season.

Langer has made mugs of critics who questioned his decision to return to the Broncos this year.

He turns 36 on Tuesday, but he has played so well for Brisbane and for Queensland that if Andrew Johns had been injured, Langer would have been pressured into making a comeback for Australia in their test against Great Britain this month.

Langer, who was playing in Britain with Warrington, agreed to rejoin the Broncos this season to help coach Wayne Bennett through a scrumbase drama.

Now there is increasing speculation he could play again next year.

"Nobody ever doubted Alf's ability to play the game, they just doubted his age, but Wayne [Bennett] has kept him fresh all year," Tallis said.

"The thing about Alf is the last time he played here, he was captain, he was living here and was always doing media commitments and promotions.

"This time he's not captain, he's not the chief playmaker.

"Darren Lockyer is our playmaker and I'm captain, which has taken the pressure off him. He can just concentrate on playing and he only trains once a week."

But Tallis had no plans to lead any push to convince Langer to play on.

"That's up to him. "If Alf wanted to play, I'd certainly be happy to play with him.

"But if he decided to call it quits again for the fifth time, I'd be happy to see the end of him."

Langer had been a champion player and the season was not over yet.

"If there's is some unfinished business, then maybe he will want to play.

"But if we finish on a fairytale end, that might see him through."

Broncos chief executive Shane Edwards was non-committal about an approach to Langer to play next season.

"Alf hasn't mentioned it, and I'm too scared to ask him," Edwards said. "It would be something I'd have to talk to Wayne about first."

* Robert Tanielu, the young Cantabrian whose imposing NRL debut led to nine clubs clamouring for his services, has signed a two-year contract with the Melbourne Storm.

There was intense interest in the 1.95m, 112kg Tanielu after his barnstorming performance for the Broncos in their 28-14 win over Wests Tigers at Campbelltown last month.

Tanielu scored the first try, set up another, tackled fiercely and took the ball up with the confidence of a veteran.

Word quickly spread that Tanielu, 20, was off contract at the end of this season.

"There were nine clubs in all. My manager [Jim Banaghan] and I narrowed it down to five, then to Melbourne, the Cowboys and Canberra," Tanielu said. "We dropped Canberra off and Melbourne won the race over the Cowboys.

- AGENCIES