Official Toby Rudolf

However many mistakes or few of them he has, he has the uncanny ability to make them @ the wrong time.
Some of them are when I believe he’s on too long, not long after Fitzy gives him a spell.
It does my head in, like c’mon, be proactive, why does he need to spill the ball or miss a crucial tackle as the barometer he needs a spell?
TBF he has body language like he is exhausted beyond measure after like 10 minutes sometimes and then plays fine for another 20 - I think that is a factor

He also has some real bludger unforced errors that stand out in the memory.
Like Jack Williams continues to have even if his total errors reduced.

Toby also does play pretty decent minutes, which allows more time to make errors, regardless of forced/unforced, fatigue impacted, or any other factors
 
However many mistakes or few of them he has, he has the uncanny ability to make them @ the wrong time.
Some of them are when I believe he’s on too long, not long after Fitzy gives him a spell.
It does my head in, like c’mon, be proactive, why does he need to spill the ball or miss a crucial tackle as the barometer he needs a spell?
Go have a look at page 216.

Gotta love how people jump on a narrative regardless of stats or evidence here. Toby doesn't have a case of "Dropsies"
It's funny isn't it? Certain memes persist despite any evidence to support them and a lot of evidence to the contrary,

Toby drops it because he is tired, Newtown screw over Sharks prospects, Trindall is the dominant half, Kaufusi doesn't go looking for work, Brailey only started running in 2025, Talakai was dropped from centre because he sucks at defence... rinse and repeat.

The "Toby is fat" one is the funniest. There was a photo of him with his shirt off during the peak of this discussion. Dude looked like he could have been Gerard Butler's stunt double on 300.
 
Go have a look at page 216.


It's funny isn't it? Certain memes persist despite any evidence to support them and a lot of evidence to the contrary,

Toby drops it because he is tired, Newtown screw over Sharks prospects, Trindall is the dominant half, Kaufusi doesn't go looking for work, Brailey only started running in 2025, Talakai was dropped from centre because he sucks at defence... rinse and repeat.

The "Toby is fat" one is the funniest. There was a photo of him with his shirt off during the peak of this discussion. Dude looked like he could have been Gerard Butler's stunt double on 300.
Interesting if true (not saying you are full of BS)
I’ll take notice of when he makes his errors (here’s hoping there is none this Friday night)
Re AFB, aware of his errors, some of them, plain dumb, I suppose they aren’t as intensified as much cause he’s doing some noticeable or eye catching runs or PCM etc, overall, whilst not horrible, AFB is down on previous seasons but has appeared to be picking up in recent weeks.
 
Go have a look at page 216.


It's funny isn't it? Certain memes persist despite any evidence to support them and a lot of evidence to the contrary,

Toby drops it because he is tired, Newtown screw over Sharks prospects, Trindall is the dominant half, Kaufusi doesn't go looking for work, Brailey only started running in 2025, Talakai was dropped from centre because he sucks at defence... rinse and repeat.

The "Toby is fat" one is the funniest. There was a photo of him with his shirt off during the peak of this discussion. Dude looked like he could have been Gerard Butler's stunt double on 300.
I think there's some evidence for a few of these - albeit circumstantial:

- Brailey has definitely improved his running game and game awareness from about middle of last year. Fitz even mentioned in a presser.

- we defend worse out wide as a team when Talakai has been in the centres (not saying its all his fault).

- Toby's mistakes sometimes occur around the 20 mins mark which stick to memory. Though if you really broke it down, its probably only a couple of errors this year.

- Trindall and Kaufusi - got nothing there. I put that down to game day keyboard warriors.

P.S. I wish I was as fat as Toby.
 
I think there's some evidence for a few of these - albeit circumstantial:

- Brailey has definitely improved his running game and game awareness from about middle of last year. Fitz even mentioned in a presser.
He changed the way he plays for sure. Previously he was running and looking for support at or before the line, or Hynes would push up on that play and probe at the line.

Running and finding support is still running. He is now just getting tackled more.

Prior to that people used run stats as evidence. Run stats don't measure "run and pass" in a lot of instances. Just run and get tackled.

- we defend worse out wide as a team when Talakai has been in the centres (not saying its all his fault).
Compared to Ramien on the right side sure. Any other scenario it's a wash or in Sifa's favour. People are just cherry-picking. Coach also said he trusts him there and wasn't dropping him.

I acknowledge that people think the edge is worse with him out there and make screen captures and videos saying he is the problem, but I've measured it every way I can think of and it's just not true. The edge fares about the same with Sifa/Iro defensively, and better off with one of those two than any other left centre that has been used in the last five years. That seems to align with the coach's comments "we trust those two guys equally... but Sifa is pretty good in other positions too".

- Toby's mistakes sometimes occur around the 20 mins mark which stick to memory. Though if you really broke it down, its probably only a couple of errors this year.
Stick to memory is the thing. People remember a couple and think it's a trend. It's not.

Probably true for Brailey's runs too. Not running more but having more that are memorable.

Also... go back to page 216 re: "20 minutes" not being what you think it is.... especially in 2026.

- Trindall and Kaufusi - got nothing there. I put that down to game day keyboard warriors.

P.S. I wish I was as fat as Toby.
Me too.
 
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He’s earnt an extension 100%

Forms been great this year. Has that annoying error in him but it’s always around that 20 minute mark where he’s played his guts and is out on his feet (more annoyed that Fitzy always waits until the error to bring him off).

However, if our big boppers are going to make an error I’d rather it be because they’ve emptied the tank over being lazy/switched off.
 
Wanted to give Toby a shoutout for a few big effort plays on the weekend. Played almost 30 mins in his first stint which is much more than what I would have expected from him. Tackled at 100% efficiency, made zero errors and averaged 10m per hit up.
However for me it was the fact that when the Dragons made their break which ultimately led to Holmes scoring. It was Toby who made it back to marker.

Screenshot 2026-06-09 at 8.38.33 am.png
Even bigger effort from him to bust his butt out of marker and chase down that first pass to stop any chance of the dragons taking it one off the ruck and playing straight. It didn't matter in the end BUT it did give the boys on the edge a chance.
Screenshot 2026-06-09 at 8.39.37 am.png


I really like Toby but when he does these sorts of effort plays (like the try saver last year) it just shows me how important he is to our team.

I don't see Oregon making those plays
 
Wanted to give Toby a shoutout for a few big effort plays on the weekend. Played almost 30 mins in his first stint which is much more than what I would have expected from him. Tackled at 100% efficiency, made zero errors and averaged 10m per hit up.
However for me it was the fact that when the Dragons made their break which ultimately led to Holmes scoring. It was Toby who made it back to marker.

View attachment 35038
Even bigger effort from him to bust his butt out of marker and chase down that first pass to stop any chance of the dragons taking it one off the ruck and playing straight. It didn't matter in the end BUT it did give the boys on the edge a chance.
View attachment 35039


I really like Toby but when he does these sorts of effort plays (like the try saver last year) it just shows me how important he is to our team.

I don't see Oregon making those plays
Aw man. Awesome post about Toby but why did you have to do Oggy dirty like that?
 
Wanted to give Toby a shoutout for a few big effort plays on the weekend. Played almost 30 mins in his first stint which is much more than what I would have expected from him. Tackled at 100% efficiency, made zero errors and averaged 10m per hit up.
However for me it was the fact that when the Dragons made their break which ultimately led to Holmes scoring. It was Toby who made it back to marker.

View attachment 35038
Even bigger effort from him to bust his butt out of marker and chase down that first pass to stop any chance of the dragons taking it one off the ruck and playing straight. It didn't matter in the end BUT it did give the boys on the edge a chance.
View attachment 35039


I really like Toby but when he does these sorts of effort plays (like the try saver last year) it just shows me how important he is to our team.

I don't see Oregon making those plays
Nice one mate, I wish others went to this level of detail ;)
 
I do remember some effort plays from Oregon that’s for sure. One I recall where somehow he was the one putting the ball dead when a certain try was going to be scored.
 
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