Club legend Guy Williams explains his game-day routine and how it started

From strapping rituals to pickle juice, music to meditation, the players all have their own pre-game routine. Read what gets them fired up to take the field.

CQ Capras current players Brandon Roberts and Blake Moore and the club's most capped player, Guy Williams.

Before most of his 216 appearances for the CQ Capras, Guy Williams would sit in the dressing sheds and strap his feet.

The most capped player in the rugby league club’s history said it was something he did religiously as part of his pre-game routine.

He picked up the trick from former teammate Aaron Sweeney during the 2006 Queensland Cup season.

“I guess you could call it a superstition but it was a really strange one,“ he said.

“I always taped my feet and toes with strapping tape because I didn’t want to get a blister.

“You think what’s a blister but I must have got a blister once in a game and I thought prevention’s better than a cure.

“When it comes to superstitions, I had teammates who would have to put their left boot on before their right, or eat a certain meal the night before a game, or throw up pre-match but that was it for me.”

Capras legend Guy Williams would tape his feet before games.

Williams left the Capras at the end of 2017 and played the following year with the Norths Devils before hanging up his boots.

He then moved into coaching, taking on the Norths Devils under-18 team in the Mal Meninga Cup.

He returned to Rockhampton, taking the reins of the Capras Q-Cup team in 2021.

Williams is now the NRL training coordinator and development coach at the Manly Sea Eagles, working closely with fellow Central Queensland product and head coach Anthony Seibold.

As a head coach, Williams said he always liked having “alone time” before kick-off.

“When the players go out to warm up, I don’t go out and watch them do that. I like a bit of time to think things through and clear my head so I can make good decisions during the match,” he said.

Here’s what some of the current crop of Q-Cup players do:

CQ Capras skipper Jack Madden.

Captain Jack Madden: Strap left ankle then right ankle, then left sock, right sock, left boot, right boot.

Jeremy McLachlan: Listening to country and drill music just before running out.

Tom Farr: Hydralite twice on game day, one at breakfast, one before getting to the ground.

Hooker Trey Brown.

Trey Brown: Pickle juice one hour before the game.

Cooper Marshall: Left sock, right sock, left boot, right boot, left laces, right laces.

Brandon Clarke: Glutes rubbed down pre warm-up.

Fullback Blake Moore.

Blake Moore: Banana and Gatorade in the sheds pre-game.

Riley Reid: Coffee before the game.

Bob Tenza: Meditate for one to two minutes before the coach speaks.

Winger Brandon Roberts.

Brandon Roberts: Can’t be the first player to put a jersey on.

Jack White: Both wrists strapped.

Harry Barham: Left sock, left boot, right sock, right boot.