Broncos halves call leaves casualty; Roosters DCE dilemma<\/a><\/p>\nToby Rudolf is currently managing himself.Source: Supplied<\/p>\n
\u201cI have just been ringing around coaches and having a conversation and seeing if they\u2019re keen. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut the priority is to stay here (Sharks). I\u2019ve loved every year I\u2019ve had here and it can be a dangerous formula when you fix something that isn\u2019t broken, but we\u2019ll just see how the year plays out. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a contract year but even playing in these years before, I\u2019ve never really thought about it. <\/p>\n
\u201cLast year I wasn\u2019t thinking about it and this year is the same. I\u2019ll just let it happen as it happens. Let it unfold as it unfolds and let it be.\u201d <\/p>\n
However, Rudolf wouldn\u2019t be drawn on which clubs he has been speaking to outside the Sharks and responded in typical hilarious fashion. <\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t that too much of breaking story? Isn\u2019t that too hectic? I\u2019m too scared to say in case it gets blown up. I\u2019m scared of you guys,\u201d Rudolf said with a laugh. <\/p>\n
O’Sullivan excited for Vegas trip | 00:33<\/p>\n
The Sharks are one of the most consistent teams in the NRL and have made the last two preliminary finals, but haven\u2019t been able to get over the hump. <\/p>\n
And with 15 players coming off-contract in 2026, the Sharks are unlikely to be able to re-sign everybody, so there is a sense that this is the last chance for the current squad to win it all. <\/p>\n
Helping their cause has been the arrival of one of the best forwards in the game last season in Addin Fonua-Blake and Rudolf has formed a formidable front row partnership with the star enforcer. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe just brings a bunch of confidence for me,\u201d Rudolf said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI speak to him before the game. I hope he doesn\u2019t mind I\u2019m sharing this, but I was like, what\u2019s your mindset going into a game and he says to me, \u2018I\u2019m just going out there thinking that I\u2019m the best front-rower out there\u2019. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I\u2019m like, wow, that is not what I think. I\u2019m out there thinking this is going to be my last game. I\u2019m not going to survive when I miss 100 tackles and not get picked. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut to have that this year when I have my mindset, that\u2019s just reassuring. You know he\u2019s not going to stop. You know he\u2019s going to have 20 carries every game. And he just gives you an edge of confidence that you didn\u2019t have before he was here.\u201d <\/p>\n
Addin Fonua-Blake has given Rudolf and his Sharks teammates confidence.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Fonua-Blake finished the 2025 season with the most post contact metres of any player, ahead of even Broncos champion Payne Haas. <\/p>\n
His ability to not only make tough carries into the teeth of the defence, but also bend the line and get his team on the front foot is what gives Rudolf confidence his halves are set for a big year in 2026. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s more of a thing for the halves and they just love getting the ball after an Addin Fonua-Blake carry,\u201d Rudolf said. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt gets the line moving and gets the line retreating and having an attacking play with a bunch of people around you is a halfback\u2019s wet dream, right?<\/p>\n
Rugby signings shake up Roosters | 07:44<\/p>\n
\u201cSo that\u2019s what he can deliver from a standing start. You seem like you are going nowhere and then he puts on a bit of footwork, breaks a few tackles, gets the ball moving and gets you moving down field. <\/p>\n
\u201cThen all of a sudden you have got Nico Hynes on the back of that with Will Kennedy, Braydon Trindall and Blayke Brailey. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019ve been doing it for the last three years, but we just haven\u2019t really capitalised at the key moments, so hopefully one more year together galvanises that and this is the year to do it. <\/p>\n
\u201cWith 15 blokes coming off contract, it\u2019s kind of now or never.\u201d <\/p>\n
The Sharks have lost the last two prelim finals.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Rudolf himself is coming off one of his better seasons in first grade, as he established himself as a regular starter alongside Fonua-Blake at the back end of the year. <\/p>\n
However, the man himself believes he needs to channel his teammate and produce much more consistency in 2026. <\/p>\n
\u201cNot exactly, the good thing is from fan\u2019s point of view and people that watch the game, you could say I had a good year because I played maybe the last six games at my best,\u201d Rudolf said when asked if he was happy with his 2025 form. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut there was another 10 games at the start of the year that were pretty average from my standard from where I\u2019ve been in years gone by. <\/p>\n
\u201c2022 for me is the best year of my career. I missed three games and I was starting every game I played in and was punching out massive minutes.<\/p>\n
‘He’s in good shape for how old he is’ | 10:50<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere as I started last year, missed the first four games, played four average games, was out for another eight weeks, came back, had 10 games that were not very stand out. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut then luckily finished the year strong, so I think I just want to put together a more complete year in 2026. <\/p>\n
\u201cSitting on the sidelines, I find the older you get, the more it weighs on you because maybe you start thinking, oh, I\u2019m getting older now, this is not as easy as it used to be. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut I was happy with the back end of the season, so I just wanted some consistency through my footy and to have the last six games turn into 26 games.\u201d <\/p>\n
Toby Rudolf is coming off one of his best seasons.Source: Supplied<\/p>\n
Over his six seasons at Cronulla since his NRL debut in 2020, Rudolf has scored six tries in 119 games and has blossomed from an X-factor bench player into a reliable and formidable starter. <\/p>\n
Now turning 30 on the eve of the trials, Rudolf is one of the veterans of the Sharks team and considers himself a leader, but not in the traditional sense. <\/p>\n
\u201cI do see myself as a bit of a leader, but I don\u2019t like the leadership style of talking and going through it,\u201d Rudolf said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m more of lead by example type. I don\u2019t think I have all the knowledge. I\u2019m still learning myself. I don\u2019t have the confidence to say to young kid, no, you\u2019re doing this wrong, do this, this and this. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy thing is making sure that everyone is connected with each other, making sure we\u2019re all one team and everyone is showing a bit of love to each other, that\u2019s where I focus my energy and I\u2019m good at that. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut in terms of technical stuff, that\u2019s what the coach this for. I mean, I can show you the way, but in terms of actually breaking down a game and video and stuff, I\u2019m not that kind of guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
NAS & Burgess clash post fight! | 00:16<\/p>\n
One of the Sharks\u2019 more traditional leaders in Nicho Hynes has been no stranger to criticism in recent seasons. <\/p>\n
While some of it comes with the territory of wearing the No.7 jersey and some is unwarranted at times, the facts are the Sharks haven\u2019t been able to ice the big moments in the last two prelims and often that comes back to the halves. <\/p>\n
Rudolf admits seeing Hynes cop the blame for big match defeats hurts the squad, but it also brings the team together.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re a very easy club to knock and we have got almost a scapegoat in our halves,\u201d Rudolf said. <\/p>\n
\u201cNicho\u2019s always dragged through it for a lot of the wrong reasons. It\u2019s disappointing for us to see, but in one way it unites us as well. <\/p>\n
Rudolf says unfair criticism of Nicho Hynes unites the team.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t see the negatives, obviously it\u2019s easy to sell a paper doing it that way. But look, Nicho\u2019s our leader and Tricky\u2019s (Trindall) starting to emerge as one himself as well. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo I think the fact that they have a bit more on their shoulders this year and they\u2019re just as aware as us, this Premiership window closing. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think the biggest year is going to come from those two guys. I see them directing us around the park. <\/p>\n
\u201cI see them being able to execute the game plans that we\u2019ve been given and I see them winning big games for us this year.\u201d <\/p>\n
Should Lomax be allowed at the Storm? | 07:10<\/p>\n
Coach Craig Fitzgibbon is another Sharks figure that has copped his share of criticism over the team\u2019s finals performances in recent years. <\/p>\n
However, Rudolf defended Fitzgibbon in typical hilarious fashion when asked if he has brought anything new to this pre-season. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe might have, but I don\u2019t really pay attention that much,\u201d Rudolf said with a laugh. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut I don\u2019t think Fitzy needs to bring anything else. It\u2019s not his coaching that we\u2019re lacking. It\u2019s us. It\u2019s our team. I think it\u2019s about being more connected, about us showing more love for each other, that\u2019s what I focus on. <\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t get me wrong, we\u2019re a super connected bunch and we\u2019ve got friends for life here. Eight of us have been together since 2019. There\u2019s about five more lads that have been together since the 20s and SG Ball. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo there\u2019s a really big contingent of guys here that have played so much first grade together. \u201cBut to get over the hump, that\u2019s where Fitzy earns his money, so you will have to ask him.\u201d <\/p>\n
Rudolf wants to help his team stay connected.Source: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n
The Sharks have one of the most settled team\u2019s in the competition going into 2026, with no new recruits and only Daniel Atkinson and Kade Dykes leaving the club. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, young skipper Blayke Brailey is coming off a Kangaroos tour and will have learned plenty from the likes of Harry Grant and the other Australian stars, but Rudolf is not so sure. <\/p>\n
\u201cFrom a free holiday?\u201d Rudolf joked when asked if Brailey has improved as a leader and player from the Ashes Tour. <\/p>\n
\u201cKevvie didn\u2019t give him a game. Did he get some knowledge from travelling around Europe? I mean I think he knows where all the good cafes are, as opposed to footy. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut seriously Blayke\u2019s a pretty unspoken and he is our captain and leader as well and it\u2019s funny, he\u2019s very unassuming in a way. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s starting to talk a lot more since he\u2019s been given that role, but in terms of extra knowledge, Blayke just needs to keep doing what Blayke does best, running that ball, dipping his shoulder and leading by example. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf he does that, then he\u2019s going to be the best No.9 and captain that we can have for the job.\u201d <\/p>\n
Jake Preston, Gorden Tallis, Ethan strange and Sharks skipper Blayke Brailey outside famous cavern club in Liverpool.Source: Supplied Source Known<\/p>\n
The Sharks look primed for another tilt at the top four and the title in 2026, but will begin the year without two of their best players in Ronaldo Mulitalo and Cameron McInnes due to serious knee injuries. <\/p>\n
However, Rudolf is confident the Sharks have the squad mentality to fill the void until their star veterans return. <\/p>\n
\u201cI want to go a little left field for the wing and say Liam Ison,\u201d Rudolf said when asked who will fill Mulitalo\u2019s spot. <\/p>\n
\u201cI can see him getting some games and doing some crazy things with the footwork he possesses. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s coming off an ACL as well. He\u2019s obviously a bit further ahead than them. He\u2019s at 12 months, so I can see him doing something. The other obvious choices are Sam Stonestreet and Mawene Hiroti.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then in the absence of McInnes, Jesse Colquhoun did it last year, so I just see him slotting straight in there. <\/p>\n
\u201cWho knows, maybe I\u2019ll get the No.13 on my back and do some ball playing for once in my career. <\/p>\n
\u201cI was a lock at the start of my career, but I don\u2019t think I ever f***ing passed it. I think prop is more my go.\u201d <\/p>\n
Rudolf has become a leader of the Sharks pack.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Rudolf\u2019s humour never stops shining through, but he is more serious when discussing the Sharks\u2019 premiership chances. <\/p>\n
And he knows if they can\u2019t get past the prelim this season, it could be the last chance for the team in its current form. <\/p>\n
But a powerful piece of symmetry is looming 10 years on from the club\u2019s maiden title and Rudolf and his teammates are acutely aware that their time is now. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be pretty special and I think it\u2019s poised right now,\u201d Rudolf said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re sitting in this unique Premiership window and I think we are aware of it now. It\u2019s not going to be around forever. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s also interesting how it\u2019s ten years after the Sharks won it. So 2026, 2016, who knows, maybe 666 is the Sharks number.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sharks\u2019 cult hero Toby Rudolf is managing himself in a contract year and with 14 teammates also coming…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":430945,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[4614,116737,64,63,689,145895,45716,219794,91888,6404,217437,4562,225668,111460,11101,134629,4565,644,12732,4437,224643,225660,224260,111632,225665,155108,219492,224256,225671,4415,211637,4587,23999,225672,1613,225661,122762,4746,225675,4466,32917,224020,761,762,673,158,677,225664,225676,13390,61654,102115,74197,23998,122347,224254,224262,122351,160215,225667,85,143228,225662,225674,225666,225673,225669,225663,4413,225670,198765],"class_list":["post-430944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-addin-fonua-blake","tag-ali-brigginshaw","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-australian-stars","tag-back-end","tag-bears-roster-build","tag-bench-player","tag-blayke-brailey","tag-call-leaves-casualty","tag-cameron-mcinnes","tag-coach-craig-fitzgibbon","tag-contact-metres","tag-cooper-cronk","tag-crazy-things","tag-cronulla-sharks","tag-cult-hero","tag-dan-ginnane","tag-daniel-atkinson","tag-elite-company","tag-example-type","tag-fan-day","tag-finals-performances","tag-front-row-partnership","tag-game-plans","tag-george-burgess","tag-hangover-risk","tag-jake-preston","tag-james-tedesco","tag-jeremy-latimore","tag-jesse-colquhoun","tag-knee-injuries","tag-leadership-style","tag-liverpool","tag-luke-lewis","tag-maiden-title","tag-mark-st-john","tag-match-defeats","tag-melbourne-storm","tag-michael-ennis","tag-nas-amp-burgess","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-new-south-wales","tag-nrl","tag-oceania","tag-origin-careerrugby-league","tag-outside-famous-cavern","tag-payne-haas","tag-player-manager","tag-prelim-finals","tag-preliminary-finals","tag-premiership-chances","tag-regular-starter","tag-rugby-signings","tag-rugby-signings-shake","tag-sam-stonestreet","tag-sean-osullivan","tag-skincare-company","tag-sports","tag-squad-mentality","tag-star-veterans-return","tag-team-spirit","tag-team-stay","tag-teammates-confidence","tag-title-time","tag-title-window","tag-toby-rudolf","tag-typical-hilarious-fashion","tag-window-closing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430944","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=430944"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430944\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/430945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=430944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=430944"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=430944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768365730_454_poster-fallback.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n