Nerves are sure to be at their most frayed in NRL dressing rooms in the countdown to Round 1 kick-offs so we asked some of the game's stars which teammates have the strangest pre-game rituals.
Ben Hannant (Cowboys)
"Lachie Maranta was one back at the Broncos when I was there. It was proper weird, him staring at a wall and knocking his drinks over, and he had to walk out of the dressing sheds a certain way. At the Cowboys everyone is pretty cruisy."
Gareth Widdop (Dragons)
"It's hard because half of our squad is completely new so that's a tough one to answer. I'll tell you if we're talking England, James Graham carries his hot water bottle around with him in the sheds before a game."
Chris Lawrence (Wests Tigers)
"I don't think there's anyone that strange. Maybe 'Woodsy' (Aaron Woods) because he's got to do his hair now. He's got to get in front of the mirror and do his hair with his headband so I'll say Woodsy."
Luke Douglas (Titans)
"I don't know if you'd call it a ritual as such but Josh Hoffman always strips down to his jocks and dances and twerks and carries on around the changing rooms before every game. It definitely lightens the mood and gets all the boys relaxed but after a while when kick-off gets closer Neil comes around the corner and says, 'Righto, music off.' When we were in Bathurst playing the Panthers he was going pretty hard but he toned it down a bit after that."
Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys)
"I'm pretty sure it was Ashton Sims. It was something about wearing the same pair of jocks the night before the game. I'm not too superstitious but if that works for him, I'll be more than happy to try."
Alex Glenn (Broncos)
"It would be Lachlan Maranta. He always has to tip his drink over in front of him before we go out to play. He then sprays his sticky spray on his hands and high fives Jack Reed. I don’t know why but it has to be done. He also goes up to a wall and stands very close to it, about 10 centimetres, and just stares at the wall. I don't know if he's praying but I always see him just standing and staring at the wall."
Aaron Woods (Wests Tigers)
"Probably Kyle Lovett. He gets a hair cut every week. I don't understand why. His nickname is 'Sarge' and he's got to wear the same clothes to the captain's run and everything's got to be in order with him, he's a weird guy. He's a real routine freak, first in off the field, first in the showers and first home. He's different."
