QUEENSLAND coach Mal Meninga has lauded the courage of his Maroons winger Darius Boyd for seeking professional help to deal with some mental health concerns.

Boyd, who became Origin’s equal-leading try-scorer during this year’s series, checked himself into a mental health facility to seek treatment for depression, and Meninga said the Knights fullback had proven himself a wonderful role model for men of all ages.

“What Darius did takes enormous courage – to identify that you have a problem mentally that needs to be fixed. What he has done is very brave,” Mal said.

“Putting up his hand and asking for help with mental health is not just the best thing for him, but also for the men in our society to see that you don’t have to handle things alone.

“To see an NRL player of Darius’ stature put his hand up and ask for help with a problem, hopefully more men in our community with the same issues will think ‘maybe I should ask for help too’.

“What a difference that could make to the lives of so many people if more men feel inspired enough by Darius to ask for the help they need.

“What will come out of this will be an enormous benefit for him, but also an enormous benefit for all men. The lesson here is that if you have a problem, get the help you need to fix it.

“The game has had a program called “State of Mind” for the past 12 months or so, and it is a terrific initiative.

“What has happened with Darius is a great reminder that we are not Supermen, we are not macho and beyond asking for help. There is a great message in this for everyone in the community.”

Mal said despite Boyd’s frosty public persona, the Maroons star was a warm, engaging and much-loved member of the Queensland Origin family.

“He is a very personable, very team-oriented man. He is someone who gets a genuine buzz out of being invited to play for Queensland, being a part of the camp and putting on that jersey alongside his mates,” Mal said.

“He loves being a part of the Maroon family. It is a bit of a sanctuary for him I believe, with all the mateship that comes with comes with it.

“We see a person who get along really well with his mates. His mates love him and would go to the trenches with him.

“He is a different personality, we know that. But we are not drones. Everyone is different. But he mixes into our family atmosphere really well. Everything he does on and off the field is to do his best for the team.”

Mal said he was pleased that Darius had been able to shine a light on the importance of mental health by taking such a positive step forward in seeking treatment.

“The game is about mental health. It is a physical game, yes. But we all know that one of the key attributes that defines a great rugby league player is their mental toughness,” Mal said.

“We are all vulnerable to certain things in life. We are not cast in iron. The thing about issues is that you have to solve them, and do it quickly.

“The easy thing for Darius would have been to say nothing, keep it to himself, and to keep trying to fight it on his own. The hard option was to stand up and say ‘I have a problem and I want to fix it’.

“That is half the battle. Now comes the other half of the battle, and that is getting the treatment and getting himself right to come out the other side.

“The great thing about our game is that when someone is in trouble, the community rallies around them and doesn’t leave them stranded.

“It is a reminder of how strong, resilient and caring the rugby league fraternity is. The game has its faults, but at the end of the day, we do look out for each other and I think that is really important.

“We saw it with the Alex Mackinnon situation. This is something that the game is getting better at, and we should be proud of that.

“When people talk about role models, Darius is top level. He is a good role model as a player, with his abilities and professional approach to what he does.

“But he is a terrific role model for men of all ages who can see him go through all of this, and to take the brave path of putting up his hand and asking for help. “League is a tough man’s game. Sometimes, the toughest thing is to admit you can’t do things on your own and to ask for help. Darius was courageous enough to do it, and we are all very proud of him for that.”

If you have a problem like Darius, you don’t have to face it alone. You can contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue and talk to people who know how to help.
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Beyondblue.org.au