Former Aussie cricket captain Steve Waugh had his lucky red hanky, while former Socceroo goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer wore the same set of shin pads for more than 20 years. Now, Matt Gillett's meteoric rise this season can be partially credited to a lucky pair of undies.
Gillett 'revealed' to NRL.com earlier this season that he wears the same pair of Reg Grundies to each match. The Maroons enforcer developed the quirky habit of wearing the same pair of jocks once per week on game day after having success with a particular pair of red Bonds against the Red V of the Dragons in Round 2 last season.
"I've still got them. They've got a few holes in the crotch area now but no one will see that so it's all good," Gillett said.
"They are coming to a near end I think, so I'll get what I can out of them and see how I go.
"They're my red Bonds undies – I think I packed them in [for Origin camp] - if not, I’ll have to get the girlfriend to bring them down to me."
"I was just thinking about games too much – how it was going to happen, what was going to happen and how it would pan out," he said.
"I'm staying quite relaxed now and trying to keep the head clear. I just think about anything that's not footy really. As long as I'm doing the right things to prepare for a game it all makes me feel a bit better before I run out there."
It's no fluke that the six-game Origin player made his Test debut for the Kangaroos earlier this year, even though it was at the expense of injured Broncos' teammate Sam Thaiday. When comparing the 2013 stats of the 25-year-old to his numbers this season, there has been a vast improvement.
Last season Gillett scored seven tries, averaged 25 tackles per game and made 105 run metres with eight line breaks.
Gillett 'revealed' to NRL.com earlier this season that he wears the same pair of Reg Grundies to each match. The Maroons enforcer developed the quirky habit of wearing the same pair of jocks once per week on game day after having success with a particular pair of red Bonds against the Red V of the Dragons in Round 2 last season.
"I've still got them. They've got a few holes in the crotch area now but no one will see that so it's all good," Gillett said.
"They are coming to a near end I think, so I'll get what I can out of them and see how I go.
"They're my red Bonds undies – I think I packed them in [for Origin camp] - if not, I’ll have to get the girlfriend to bring them down to me."
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"I was just thinking about games too much – how it was going to happen, what was going to happen and how it would pan out," he said.
"I'm staying quite relaxed now and trying to keep the head clear. I just think about anything that's not footy really. As long as I'm doing the right things to prepare for a game it all makes me feel a bit better before I run out there."
It's no fluke that the six-game Origin player made his Test debut for the Kangaroos earlier this year, even though it was at the expense of injured Broncos' teammate Sam Thaiday. When comparing the 2013 stats of the 25-year-old to his numbers this season, there has been a vast improvement.
Last season Gillett scored seven tries, averaged 25 tackles per game and made 105 run metres with eight line breaks.
From 10 games so far in 2014, Gillett has already made five line breaks, averaged 114 run metres, 29 tackles and scored six tries.
If he can translate this form into the Origin arena, the Maroons will be well on their way to claiming nine-straight series victories.
The 2010 Dally M Rookie of the Year has become a mainstay in Queensland's side after making his debut off the bench in Game One of 2012.
Wednesday night's series opener at Suncorp Stadium will mark his first run-on appearance at representative level, although that extra responsibility isn't something that fazes the laid-back Bribie Island junior, despite only having two years of successful Origin experience with the current crop of Queenslanders.
"I'm definitely a bit more comfortable in my third year coming into this side. It's just good to be a part of it because of the great success they've had for eight years," he said.
"It makes it so much easier to come into camp with the experienced players here, so it's a pretty good camp to be involved in.
"I was lucky enough to make my debut for Australia earlier in the year and it's good to be here in the Queensland camp [again]."
Gillett also credits the influence that coach Mal Meninga brings to the Maroons' setup, with the Origin legend instilling the same pride and passion into his players that he displayed so famously over his 32-game Queensland career.
"Obviously he's been here before and done it as a coach, so he's very experienced and he's got a lot of passion for the game and a lot of passion for Queensland," he said.
"He shows a lot of that [passion] in camp and you sort of just work off that and it's great to have him around – he's a good bloke."
If he can translate this form into the Origin arena, the Maroons will be well on their way to claiming nine-straight series victories.
The 2010 Dally M Rookie of the Year has become a mainstay in Queensland's side after making his debut off the bench in Game One of 2012.
Wednesday night's series opener at Suncorp Stadium will mark his first run-on appearance at representative level, although that extra responsibility isn't something that fazes the laid-back Bribie Island junior, despite only having two years of successful Origin experience with the current crop of Queenslanders.
"I'm definitely a bit more comfortable in my third year coming into this side. It's just good to be a part of it because of the great success they've had for eight years," he said.
"It makes it so much easier to come into camp with the experienced players here, so it's a pretty good camp to be involved in.
"I was lucky enough to make my debut for Australia earlier in the year and it's good to be here in the Queensland camp [again]."
Gillett also credits the influence that coach Mal Meninga brings to the Maroons' setup, with the Origin legend instilling the same pride and passion into his players that he displayed so famously over his 32-game Queensland career.
"Obviously he's been here before and done it as a coach, so he's very experienced and he's got a lot of passion for the game and a lot of passion for Queensland," he said.
"He shows a lot of that [passion] in camp and you sort of just work off that and it's great to have him around – he's a good bloke."
