SOME of NSW Rugby League’s finest have passed through the Shoalhaven as part of the 2015 Hogs For the Homeless Tour.
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The third annual ride, which features former Australian captain Brad 'Freddy' Fittler and Nathan Hindmarsh, Matt Cooper, Steve Menzies and Ian Schubert held its northern tour in mid February.
The southern ride started on Saturday and will end on Friday evening at Parramatta Stadium where the Eels will face Manly in round one.
Fittler and the team, which includes Jack Elsegood and Josh Perry, have partnered with Harley-Davidson to support Father Chris Riley’s Youth Off The Streets to help tackle homelessness.
This year’s tour will cover 3200km throughout the state conducting clinics, appearances and school visits everywhere from Lismore to Gundagai.
The group visited Schubert’s Bomaderry Hotel on Sunday afternoon, meeting fans, and made an impressive sight as they headed south on Monday morning.
The group travelled to Narooma and then onto Cooma, where they visited a special needs school, before finishing the day in Jindabyne.
It’s the third time Fittler, Hindmarsh and Schubert have undertaken the ride, which this year they hope will raise $150,000.
“Our first ride raised $35,000, last year we made $130,000 and hopefully this year we can top $150,000,” Fittler said.
“We just want to keep bettering it.
“It’s a very worthwhile cause and it’s always wonderful to see so many rugby league fans throughout this state come together to help out.
“Father Chris Riley and Youth Off The Streets need as much help as they can get to make a difference because this is a huge problem in country areas as well as in the city.”
“It is great the NSW Rugby League is involved,” Schubert said.
“We visit a lot of schools and conduct a number of clinics and every kid we see gets a footy.
“We have 5000 to give away during the ride. But above all we raise money for homelessness.
“It is also great for all the former NSW blokes to get together and do something together."
“Queensland talk about having passion. We have it as well, we have never skited about it, we’ve let our actions do the talking.”
Looking as if they have both just stepped off the playing field, Nathan “Hindy” Hindmarsh and Steve “Beaver” Menzies enjoy the freedom that comes with being on a bike.
“It’s different from playing footy,” Menzies said.
“A different kind of fitness is required for something like this.”
“I haven’t had my Harley for long but I just love getting out on the road and the scenery down here is so spectacular,” Hindmarsh said.
As for season 2015 Fittler said it was going to be a great year.
“Sure there are some issues off the filed at the moment and people are dealing with those but on the field it’s going to be one of the best seasons ever,” he said.
Following Jindabyne the ride heads to Gundagai, Young, Carcoar, Orange and Oberon before riding into Parramatta Stadium on Friday night.