Gloucester was the first stop of his Hogs motorcycle ride covering 5000 kilometres and 24 regional NSW towns in 10 days to talk about rugby league and mental health.

It's not the first time Brad has stopped in Gloucester. He's been known to drop by for a bit of training with young footy players on many of his Hogs for the Homeless tours, one of the main programs of the NSWRL Foundation.

Each year since 2013, Brad and former league players ride their Harley-Davidsons around country NSW raising money and awareness. The last visit to Gloucester in 2018 was a fundraiser for Youth Off The Streets, but this year it was all about the Gotcha4Life Foundation which funds sustainable educational workshops and training programs about mental fitness.

Joining Brad for the chat at GHS was Gotcha4Life chairman and founder, Gus Worland. They spent a bit of time talking about the importance of students managing their own mental health.

GHS Head Teacher Wellbeing, Myree Ribbons said the talk helped the students gain a better understanding of their own self-worth.

"To have someone who is high profile like Brad Fittler raise mental health awareness in schools is acknowledging that young people are seriously affected by some of these issues every day," Ms Ribbons explained.

"Students need a system they can rely on and sources of information to guide them through the process of dealing with mental health issues. Open communication and making connections is so important, especially for teens."

The visit fitted in well with the school's wellbeing program, building onto and strengthening what the students are learning about mental health. Having the message delivered by someone the students admire, like a high profile sporting figure, helps makes the message more relatable.

"When we empower students with knowledge, and encourage dialogue, students will be able to get the help they need," Ms Ribbons said.

Before launching the ride tour, Brad said he was looking forward to connecting with all NSW fans across the state.

"One of the things I love the most about my job as coach of the NSW Blues is that it gives me the opportunity to connect with all our supporters from Bourke to Bankstown," he said.

"The state had a pretty tough time last year because of the bushfires and coronavirus and I missed not being able to travel around as freely as I have in previous years.

"I can't wait to jump back on the bike again, get around the great state of NSW, play footy with the local kids and deliver some important message about mental fitness to any communities who might be still doing it tough," Brad said.

Gus was equally as exciting about the tour.

"I love going out with Freddy, the Hogs and all the team at NSWRL because not only do we get to meet some really fantastic people, but we get to talk about mental fitness.

"I believe if you look at the statistics, mental fitness is required even more in rural Australia. Through the clinics, we are able to raise the importance of mental fitness in a fun and engaging way which allows us to have those meaningful conversations," Gus said.

Being leaving GHS, Brad and Gus handed out a stack of footballs and posed for a few photos. The NSWRL Foundation aims to use Rugby League to drive social change in the community through its support of charity partners and programs including Gotcha4Life and Youth Off The Streets.