State of Mind: Matty Dawson

Moving clubs can often be a time that impacts on a player’s mental fitness.

Deciding whether to move, leaving behind a comfortable surrounding to join in some ways the unknown, with new people, new faces and a different environment.

Leigh winger Matty Dawson made the bold decision to leave Super League last summer, departing from St Helens, to join the Centurions who were at the time, ripping it up in the Championship.

With Dawson on board, Leigh managed to achieve promotion to Super League via The Qualifiers and have recorded some decent victories in their first season in the top flight since 2005.

He said: “You speak to your family about moving and your agent has a lot to say about what’s going to happen.

“I think it can affect people differently. Obviously if you’re leaving a club and you’ve already got a contract there, you feel a bit unwanted at some stages.

“But in my case I just needed to play and to go to Leigh was a big opportunity for me and I had to take it on.

“It’s hard work moving, but all rugby lads are pretty similar with each other, so it’s not hard to settle in with the boys.

“I think it’s more adapting to their schedule and things like that, but it doesn’t take too long and everyone makes you feel really welcome, so it’s easy.

“It’s been good. Obviously got off to a great start, getting promoted in the first few games I was there.

“People looking in from the outside probably think the bubble has burst, but what we achieved getting into Super League was massive and to stay in Super League is the main goal, and that would be a massive achievement for us.”

This year’s State of Mind theme looks at the pressures of loss – be it a relationship, a job, income, a home or a bereavement, and how people can deal with it.

You can speak with State of Mind volunteers at the marquee which will be situated at games across the weekend.