Fittler and other ex-NRL stars Nathan Hindmarsh and Ian Schubert will make the trip over the Blue Mountains on their Harley Davidson motorcycles. They travel through the central west, stopping at Bathurst and Orange, before an overnight stop in Dubbo next Tuesday.

The former Panthers and Roosters star said in the five years since he had started the tour, which raises money for Father Chris Riley’s Youth off the Streets program, homelessness had gotten worse.

“It’s going the opposite way. Melbourne is trying to get ban homeless people and take them out of the city. Where are they supposed to go?” he said.

“But I guess it is a case of out of sight, out of mind.

“The problem is only going to get worse. Men’s shelters have been closed down so people have less places to go but we don’t make gambling or drinking illegal, and drugs are easy to get hold of.”

Fittler said not only did Hogs for the Homeless aim to raise funds, but also awareness of the problem. He hopes it can also prevent young children from ending up homeless.

“The key to all our messages is just to be grateful. Be part of a club, whether it is footy, chess or anything, but get out and enjoy it,” he said.

“Every kid we meet gets a football and we hope it can make a difference.”

Fittler, Hindmarsh, Schubert and a whole host of stars including Steve Menzies, Tim Brasher and Steve Roach will arrive in town on Tuesday afternoon and take part in a one-hour training session before a rooftop terrace dinner at Dubbo RSL.

It is open to the public and Fittler is hoping to see plenty of people embrace it.

“We’re really excited to get out that way. A lot of people have been hit hard by the weather and the fires and are doing it tough. If we can help out and put some smiles on the faces of kids, that would be great,” he said.

“We’d love to see everyone come out and buy some raffle tickets, it’s for a great cause.

“We are also going to a women’s nines carnival on Wednesday and that is a growing area of rugby league. It’s wonderful to see women participating and Dubbo is putting on a really good competition.”

After their time in Dubbo, Fittler and his fellow riders will head out to Walgett for a special project.

The town’s No.1 Oval will be completely resurfaced thanks to Hogs for the Homeless and a number of assisting businesses.

The existing irrigation system will be upgraded and new turf will be laid after the ground is laser-levelled.

“Evergreen Turf, who do the surfaces at Allianz Stadium and ANZ Stadium will be doing it and it will be a big deal with the Footy Show being on site, including Erin Molan,” Fittler said.

“It will be like a brand new footy field for those guys, which is great for them.”

The former NSW Blues and Kangaroos captain said he was a regular visitor to the city.

“I love coming to Dubbo. I come out nearly every year for different reasons. Last year I went to the zoo with my kids, and it’s just a great place,” he said.

Tickets for the rooftop terrace dinner on Tuesday are $10 and include a sausage sizzle. They can be purchased from Dubbo RSL on 6882 4411.