All of 10 years old he recalls the players, the crowd and that try in the corner during the Newcastle and Hunter Rugby Union grand finals of 1998 and 1999. 

“Everybody jumped the fence when we scored that try,” he said.

“I can remember it all so clearly.”

O’Toole’s father Tim was the coach of those first grade premiership winning sides and he merely a spectator. 

These days O’Toole proudly dons the Blacks jersey in the senior ranks and this weekend will notch up a significant milestone on the club’s annual charity day.

He will play his 100th first grade game for the club, in Saturday’s clash with Hamilton, two decades after the now 26-year-old first started playing juniors.

“Growing up around it all I wanted to do was play first grade for Maitland,” he said.

“I never, ever thought I would get here.”

O’Toole will become the 30th ­player in the club’s 137-year history to play 100 games or more in the first XV.

And since his debut against The Waratahs in 2007 he has played in each and every position in the backline, “even at inside centre”, with his highlight kicking a 45 metre field-goal to win a match at the death against Merewether at home.

This Saturday at Marcellin Park he returns from injury to play in his preferred position of halfback.

“I’m just happy to be back,” he said.

“I hurt my hamstring in the first game and haven’t played since but I’ve been sprinting at full pace all this week so I feel ready to go.”

O’Toole, who was part of the Newcastle representative campaign this year, said he was pleased to be bringing up the ton on the same day the Blacks will raise money for Harry’s House.

The first XV side will wear specially-designed jerseys with the Harry’s House logo while all grades will wear limited-edition socks.

This will be the fifth time Maitland has included the charity day as part of their calendar with more than $100,000 raised during that period. 

Kick-off is 3pm.