Rudolf's Christmas wish for injury-free pre-season

Sharks forward Toby Rudolf has a simple goal for the next few months. Get through the pre-season unscathed.

It might not sound like much, but for a player who has battled a string of serious injuries in the past few years, it will mark a significant change heading into a pivotal 2026 campaign.

Rudolf has learnt the hard way how important a full pre-season is and is excited to dive headfirst into a gruelling few months of training.

"I've had five surgeries in my whole career but three of them were in the last 18 months," Rudolf told NRL.com. "I'm sick of it. It's tortuous being injured. 

"You think you're so involved in the team and they're so invested in you and then you realise very soon after being injured the team is fine without you. The team does not need you, you need the team. 

"Mentally it can be a very draining task, having to get back healthy and fight off the demons that you think you're so important and all of a sudden you're not. I'm feeling refreshed after a mental break, we've got the same team and I'm looking forward to a new year."

The forward's injury struggles date back to the end of the 2023 campaign, where he played through a painful toe injury. The debilitating pain continued into the pre-season and at one point he was restricted to walking laps of Shark Park while the team trained. 

An injury-interrupted season followed in 2024 before Rudolf underwent a shoulder reconstruction late last year.

The operation forced him to miss the Sharks' Las Vegas season opener and it took the prop some time to find his feet before he finished the year with a string of dominant performances. 

Having enjoyed an off-season break, Rudolf and a number of Cronulla's big names will return to training this week. 

While the side's international stars will enjoy a few more weeks of rest, Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall headline the returning players. 

Rudolf is relishing the opportunity to enter a pre-season healthy as the Sharks look to lay the platform for a premiership charge in 2026. 

"In 2024 I genuinely thought I'll be the one player that doesn't have a pre-season that just kills it," Rudolf said. "Then lo and behold, that's not the case. You actually do need it. 

"It's not impossible, I had a good back end of the season but you just put yourself on the backburner and you're playing catch up the whole time. When you go out there and can't do what you know you're capable of, that's very frustrating as a professional athlete. 

"I'm excited for this pre-season because I'm actually an able body. It's the pre-season that I'm most looking forward to in my whole career, knowing I can actually do it and get to know my teammates, the younger guys and get to know the older guys a bit better."

Next season is shaping as a pivotal one for Rudolf and the Sharks, with the club desperate to take the next step after back-to-back preliminary final exits.

The forward is one of 17 players off-contract and 2026 could be the last chance for the current squad to taste premiership glory before a roster refresh.

While known publicly for his unique personality, his value on and off the field does not go unnoticed internally at the Sharks. 

Cronulla captain Blayke Brailey is looking forward to watching Rudolf develop into a leader and said his voice will be crucial throughout the summer. 

"He's a massive part of this team and wears his heart on his sleeve," Brailey said. "Our defining moment last year was the try-saver he did against the Dolphins, and then the match-winning try against the Roosters in the finals game at home. 

"You saw by the way everyone celebrates him and gets around him, he's such an energy provider for us. Unfortunately with Ronnie [Mulitalo] going down he'll have to take a bit more of the slack where Ronnie provides so much for us. 

"I know Toby has a lot of energy and a lot of voice so we're definitely going to lean on him a lot and hopefully like he says, we can love each other more."