"What's been happening is bloody tough, and you've got to reach out and share a wee bit more," he said, and told the story of his own depression.
He suffered from anxiety attacks from the age of 18, and was accepted into the All Blacks at 19.
"My anxiety attacks were so scary that they would drive me to bed with the shakes. I thought I was going crazy."
Anxiety drove him to depression. Nothing was enjoyable any more and it was hard to get through each day.
To others, he appeared to be fit, playing well, and have everything he could wish for. He was faking it, and was really "dead inside".
At 23 he finally asked for help. The first person he asked told him to harden up, but he kept looking for a person who could help.
The woman who "saved his life" was a no-nonsense doctor. She asked him what he would do if he had a tight hamstring. He said he would stretch it, or ice it.
"Your brain is no different, you dick," she said.
He took action then - antidepressants for six years, to give him the balance he needed to work on his life.
Now he works to maintain wellness. His daily package is a little meditation, cooking a meal and reading.
Asked how to help someone else who's depressed, he had a simple answer: just listen.
"A friend who gives you the confidence to talk without being judged is absolute gold."
