LEEDS RHINOS star Andy Ackers has opened up on his issues with overthinking and pressure and how rugby league has “advanced” the problem.
Ackers has spent most of the 2025 Super League season sidelined with a hamstring injury, but was a guest on this week’s Sky Sports’ The Bench podcast.
The 31-year-old was a key figure for the Rhinos during 2024 after making the move from the Salford Red Devils.
But now Ackers has revealed just strong mentally he has to be whilst sidelined with injury to not get caught in a “negative spiral” in his head.
“It’s a game where you have to think a lot and if you don’t get the balance right when you are playing and when you’re not playing – especially when you’re injured as I am now – I could be overthinking a lot and end up in a negative spiral,” Ackers said on Sky Sports’ The Bench podcast.
“The older I’ve got the more relaxed I’ve got into my rugby. To be honest, I think rugby has advanced my overthinking and made it worse as such because as a kid, you’re coming through and you want to prove people right.
“You want to be the best you can be and you’re always thinking how you can get better – do you shut off at this time at night or should I do another sauna session?
“That’s where it used to go against me because I used to do too much so I would burn myself out mentally. I’ve got the balance right now.”
Ackers did also reveal that he struggled coming into a pressure environment at Leeds when he made the move from Salford ahead of the 2024 Super League season.
“I struggled with the Salford saga and I just came to Leeds. It’s an absolutely brilliant organisation and I love it here.
“When I first got here, I felt a lot of pressure. Mine and Brodie Croft’s names were all over social media so I took myself off social media.
“I’m constantly trying to please and obviously we struggled last year and individual performances weren’t good enough from me either.
“I think that’s when I struggled the most in my career. I came with high hopes but it’s a process. You can’t come and expect to slot straight in.
“No disrespect to Salford but it’s a much smaller club than Leeds and I didn’t get the gist of how big a club it was straightaway.
“I felt a lot of pressure, but there was none from the club itself. The organisation itself is so good but when it’s not going your way I stress a lot.”