He has celebrated promotion, endured relegation, battled through serious injuries and watched a club that once came close to reaching the highest level of Irish club rugby slip down the divisions.
Through it all, one thing has remained constant. Malone Rugby Club has been home.
Now 31, Todd is in his fifth season captaining the Belfast side, more than a decade after arriving from Sullivan Upper School. He reached 100 AIL appearances earlier this season, a milestone reflecting his commitment to a club he has represented through some extraordinary changes in fortune.
And after several difficult campaigns, there is renewed optimism around Gibson Park.
Malone have made a perfect start to the newly created Energia All-Ireland League Division 2B North, winning their opening five matches and collecting four bonus points to establish themselves at the top of the table.
Their latest victory came in a bruising Ulster derby against previously unbeaten Clogher Valley, another indication of the progress being made under head coach Josh Pentland and his coaching team.
This Saturday brings a trip to Malahide, with Malone seeking a sixth consecutive victory and another opportunity to strengthen their position at the summit.
But Todd knows better than most how quickly circumstances can change.
“We're absolutely delighted with the start we've had” Todd told IrishRugby.ie.
“There's been a few injuries and stuff already that I'm sure, like many teams, have experienced. But to get across the line in all of them and to be where we are at this stage in the season, it's absolutely great.
“But from our angle, the reality is we just don't want to get ahead of ourselves. It's a nice picture at the moment, but it's still a long season. A lot of rugby to play. Even with the results we've been getting, they've been close games. And we know every game in this league is going to be a close one.
“So just taking it one game at a time really and trying not to get too bogged down on what the picture looks like now. Just kind of, as I say, take it each week at a time and keep kicking on, and hopefully come April we'll hopefully be sitting there still, all being well.”
It is a measured assessment from someone who has witnessed both the excitement of promotion and the disappointment of watching Malone fall from Division 1B to Division 2B through consecutive relegations.
The club's ambitions extend far beyond an unbeaten record in early November.
Malone want to return to the higher divisions of the All-Ireland League, where they spent so many years competing against some of the country's strongest clubs.
But promotion is not secured when the evenings grow darker and winter begins to take hold.
That opportunity comes in spring, provided the foundations established during these opening rounds continue to support the team's progress.
The importance of that perspective was reinforced by last season.
Malone also began that campaign impressively, winning their opening three matches, only to record another six victories across the remaining 15 rounds, finishing fifth overall in 2B last term and missing out on the promotion playoffs.
What initially looked like a promising season became another reminder of the consistency required to succeed in the Energia AIL.
Todd and his teammates have not forgotten those lessons.
“That was a bit of a message for us last week leading into the Clogher game” he explained.
“We did have a good start last season and it just shows how quickly you can come off the rails. We just focus on the job at hand, the guys that are put forward to play in that game.
“They focus on what their roles are and what their duty to the club and the team is on that given Saturday.”
That message appeared to resonate in their home meeting against Clogher Valley.
The visitors arrived with an unbeaten record of their own and a reputation as formidable opponents, having established themselves as a highly competitive side in recent seasons.
Malone knew they would face a demanding examination, particularly against opposition they have become increasingly familiar with. A brace of tries from Michael Crothers and Tane Hotham helped lead the charge in a 34-28 win.
“We've played Clogher Valley quite a lot now over the last few years, and we know they're a class outfit there with some outstanding players amongst them” Todd said.
“So we knew it was always going to be a tough battle. It always is with them. Very close game as well. But look, we prepared really well and the coaches put a lot of time into analysing our own performances over the last few weeks.
We knew it was going to have to all come together last week for us to get across the line against them. And obviously they had been going into that game unbeaten too.”
The contest lived up to expectations.
There were periods when Malone found themselves under considerable pressure, forced to defend against a team capable of testing opponents physically and tactically.
But the hosts demonstrated the resilience and composure that Todd believes have become increasingly important features of their performances.
“We dug deep and at times we were under a lot of pressure from them” he continued.
“That's always going to be the way with such a quality outfit. But when it came to it, the guys really dug in. We got the points on the board when we needed to. And we were quite clinical when we got into their 22, which ultimately helped us finish it out at the end.”
That clinical edge, combined with the determination shown during difficult passages of play, has helped Malone establish their early momentum.
For Todd, confidence is one of the most valuable qualities a team can develop.
He has experienced seasons when victories seemed to come naturally and others when the pressure of repeated defeats made every fixture increasingly difficult.
“Confidence is massive” he said.
“That's something we're trying to instil in the group. I've been at Malone a very long time. I've been there in good years and some not so good years.
Winning becomes a bit of a habit amongst the group. Just trying to maintain that confidence and that momentum, it's huge for us.”
The atmosphere around the squad reflects that renewed belief.
Players are enjoying their rugby, competition for places has strengthened and the group has developed a shared understanding of what it wants to achieve.
“The lads are loving their rugby at the moment” Todd continued.
“We're all very together in the goal that we're pushing for this season. Everyone's just enjoying every match at the moment.”
Malahide away this weekend will bring the curtain down on another curling block of fixtures, leading to a two week break, before three final league games see out 2026. The breaks between league blocks have also provided opportunities to recover from the physical demands of the competition.
Todd is happy to acknowledge that rest has become increasingly valuable, as he jokes about his age coming into that discussion.
“As an older player now as well, I'm not too against any breaks now. I'll take them for the body” he laughed.
“The break in terms of getting injuries and stuff back is good. The boys are enjoying it and we want to just keep the momentum going as best we can really.”
That momentum has not developed by accident.
Behind Malone's unbeaten beginning lies a rebuilding process that has required considerable time, patience and commitment.
For years, the club competed in Division 1B, regularly testing itself against established senior opposition.
During the 2018/19 campaign, Malone contested for promotion to Division 1A, only to lose to UCC in the playoff semi-finals, losing 27-11 down in The Mardyke.
It was an indication of the level the club was capable of reaching.
But the seasons that followed brought increasingly difficult challenges.
Relegation from Division 1B at the end of 2022/23 was followed by another drop from Division 2A in 2023/24.
In the space of two campaigns, Malone had fallen two divisions.
For a club accustomed to competing much higher in the national structure, the decline was painful.
“It's always quite difficult. You do see that with quite a lot of clubs where they sort of have peaks and troughs at points.
And at times, it's just trying to put the stabilisers back on and sort of regain a bit of confidence within the group.”
The response required more than simply demanding better results.
Malone needed to rebuild their squad, strengthen their structures and restore the confidence gradually eroded by difficult campaigns.
Todd believes the coaching staff deserve enormous credit for that work.
“The coaching panel of the club have done a massive amount of work over the last couple of years in terms of just better recruitment, getting a few bodies back.
Our head coach Josh Pentland, who is still playing also, along with our coaches Richard Boyd and Gareth Fry, have stuck with us and driven the change. They have been massive in turning things around.
Dave Cave has then also come into the coaching team this season and massively helped with the video and performance analysis and set-piece side of things, which we are seeing huge benefits from.”
Pentland, who continues to pull on the boots at 36, has been central to the turnaround.
His experience as both coach and player provides an important connection between the management team and the squad.
Alongside Boyd and Fry, he has helped establish the structures that are now beginning to produce results, while Cave's involvement has strengthened the analytical side of Malone's preparation.
The changes extend throughout the senior squad.
“We've now got 35 committed lads who are all bought into this” Todd said.
“So it's the full senior squad buying into what we're trying to achieve this year is the key thing. And just that depth that we've been able to develop and also just the work that's starting to go on behind the scenes.
“The analysis that the coaches are doing as a collective every week and reviewing our games, but also with feedback they're providing to people individually. So it's just been two really good years, or two years of gradually starting to progress and take right steps in the right direction.”
For a club that endured consecutive relegations, rebuilding belief was never going to be straightforward.
Todd understands that losing can become every bit as habitual as winning.
When a squad experiences repeated setbacks, confidence can disappear quickly, making even the simplest aspects of the game feel more difficult.
“It's always hard for a club after a relegation to try and bounce back immediately” he explained.
“Even just from a year where it's been a tough season, you've been experiencing tough losses and things like that throughout the year. It's just reinstilling that confidence is a really hard thing to do. I know lots of other clubs who've been in the same position know the exact feeling. So it just takes a bit of time.”
Time has allowed Malone to reshape their squad.
Experienced players have returned, new recruits have arrived and younger members who endured relegation have developed a greater understanding of the demands of senior rugby.
“What's kind of different, I think, last year and this year, is a lot of guys have come back in” Todd said.
“Even some of the younger guys that were part of the group, even went through that relegation, they've got a lot more experience under their belt. There's been some big leaders that have come back into the club.
Some guys that would have played a few years ago went away to different clubs and then have come back, as well as some new recruits as well.”
The result has been a squad increasingly comfortable challenging one another.
Players are willing to offer opinions, accept criticism and make adjustments without allowing individual pride to interfere with the team's development.
For Todd, that willingness to learn has become one of the most encouraging changes.
“I think the best thing about that is it's turned into a really positive and active learning group” he explained.
“Every week, guys are challenging each other. They're respecting the feedback and advice that they're getting from the guys around them. From that, it's helping us kick on. People are learning and respecting each other's opinions.
By acting on that, we're getting results. The trust that's just instilled in the group and the confidence, I think it just goes full circle then. It's been the main driver towards the end of last season and this year that's really helped us to drive forward.”
It is a transformation Todd has been particularly well placed to appreciate.
His association with Malone stretches back to 2014, when he joined the club after completing his time at Sullivan Upper School.
He had already established himself as a promising young player, representing both Ulster and Ireland at Under-19 level.
At Sullivan Upper, he captained the school to its first ever Ulster Schools Cup final in 2014, an achievement that remains a significant chapter in the school's rugby history.
Remarkably, several of the players who shared that experience are still involved at Malone more than a decade later.
“I joined them after school” Todd recalled.
“I was at Sullivan Upper School before then and with a group of lads who are actually quite a few of us. Four of us are still playing at Malone now from my school team, myself, Davy McMaster, Dave Cave and Michael Cartmill.”
That connection provides a sense of continuity rarely found in modern sport.
The friendships formed during their schooldays have endured through changing circumstances, injuries and the fluctuating fortunes of club rugby.
Todd's own journey at Malone began with an immediate introduction to disappointment.
“I joined Malone in 2014 and actually the first year I played there we were in 1B and we actually got relegated that year as well” he said.
“Essentially, I've been at Malone since. There were a couple of years I was out with a shoulder and neck injury. It took a long break there to get things right again before playing.”
Those injuries forced him to spend a significant period away from rugby, interrupting a career otherwise defined by loyalty to one club.
But there have also been memorable successes.
Todd was part of Malone's return to Division 1B in 2017/18, the side won 16 games from 18 that season.
“We had a good few years after the relegation the first year then” he recalled.
“I was the captain of the club when we got promoted again back to 1B in 2017/2018. We then kicked on again and got into the play-offs to try and get into 1A the following year in 2018/19. But unfortunately we got beat by UCC in the play-offs for that.”
It was a period when Malone appeared capable of establishing themselves among the country's leading clubs.
They remained in Division 1B for several seasons before the downturn that eventually brought consecutive relegations.
Todd has lived through every stage of that journey.
“That was a couple of years after that we sort of stayed in 1B” he said.
“And then obviously a few years ago there was the turbulent period, I'd describe it as, whenever we got the relegations.
“I've been through a lot of ups and downs at Malone, some great days and some less great days.”
Those experiences have shaped his approach to captaincy.
He knows how quickly confidence can grow, but also how easily it can disappear.
He understands the importance of experienced players setting standards and helping younger teammates through difficult moments.
Above all, he appreciates what the club means to the people who continue to represent it.
Todd reached his 100th appearance last season when Malone took on Galwegians in March, joining a group of long-serving players whose commitment has remained constant despite Malone's recent struggles.
Among them are Dan Kerr, Ricky Greenwood and Dave Cave, while Ben Halliday, the club captain this season, has also reached that milestone.
Davy McMaster, another of Todd's former Sullivan Upper teammates, is potentially in line to make his 100th appearance this weekend.
“We still have a few stalwarts togging out who also have hit the 100” Todd said.
“Dan Kerr, Ricky Greenwood, Dave Cave and Ben Halliday, who is actually the club captain this year.
And I think Davy McMaster is in line for his 100th this weekend.”
Those milestones speak to the enduring connection between the players and the club.
While Malone's squad includes younger talent eager to establish themselves, it also benefits from individuals who have spent much of their adult lives wearing the same jersey.
Todd believes that loyalty has been fundamental to the rebuilding process.
“Our team is a mixture of very young lads but also a lot of lads who have been there like myself for the best part of a decade” he explained.
“The club just means a whole lot. It's a massive part of all of our lives and a lot of those guys have no interest in going anywhere else because of what that club does mean to them.”
That sense of belonging has helped sustain Malone through difficult periods.
When results were poor and the club was slipping down the divisions, experienced players remained committed to helping it recover.
Their loyalty now provides an important foundation for the next generation.
For Todd, who has spent more than a decade at Gibson Park, the desire to see Malone return to the higher levels of the Energia All-Ireland League is deeply personal.
He knows the club's history, understands the standards it once maintained and believes there is no reason those ambitions should disappear.
But he is equally conscious that opportunities to achieve those goals will not last forever.
At 31, after years of rugby and a significant period recovering from shoulder and neck injuries, he recognises that his playing career is moving towards its later stages.
That awareness has given the current campaign additional significance.
“I'm just hoping that now I'm kicking on towards the end of my playing days that, fingers crossed, we're going to have a few more of those good days at Malone” he said.
“As a club, it's a club we love and we know the history of the club. We think it should be in those higher divisions in the All-Ireland League.
So we're just hoping to be a part of it that can try and kick the club forward again and get it back to where we want it to be.”
Those ambitions will remain firmly in the background when Malone travel to Malahide this weekend.
The visitors have positive memories of their previous trip in September 2024, when they recorded an emphatic 48-19 victory.
But Todd knows past results offer little protection against the challenges of a new campaign.
Malahide will present another examination of Malone's ability to maintain their standards, particularly after the physical demands of the Clogher Valley encounter.
And with the league's other sides increasingly aware of Malone's impressive start, the challenge of remaining unbeaten is unlikely to become any easier.
Todd insists the squad are approaching the fixture with the same attention to detail that has underpinned their opening five victories.
“There's been clear talks about the direction that we want to go as a club and what our ambition is for the season” he said.
“Given where we are now, there's no doubt within the group we're talking about happy days. It's nice to be unbeaten at this stage, but the reality is we know every game is going to be a tough one. And if we go off the boil here, any team could put us to the sword.”
That understanding is reflected in the work already undertaken since the victory over Clogher Valley.
The coaching staff have reviewed the performance, identified areas requiring improvement and begun preparing the squad for the next challenge.
“We don't take for granted the results that we've got, but we respect everyone that we have on a coming Saturday” Todd said.
“There's been already a lot of work done and analysis sent into the group after Clogher Valley there and leading into Malahide here.
The lads heads are fully tuned in for what we've got this Saturday, definitely.”
It is precisely the attitude Todd believes Malone must maintain if their early promise is to develop into something more substantial.
Five victories have provided encouragement.
A sixth would strengthen their position at the summit of Division 2B North and maintain the momentum that has returned to Gibson Park.
But Todd has been around long enough to know that promotion campaigns are not defined solely by their opening chapters.
They are shaped by how teams respond to injuries, difficult fixtures, disappointing afternoons and the pressure that inevitably accompanies the pursuit of success.
Malone have already experienced the consequences of allowing a promising start to unravel.
This season, they are determined to write a different story.
For Todd, there is something particularly meaningful about the possibility of helping lead that revival.
The fresh faced teenager who arrived from Sullivan Upper in 2014 has become one of Malone's most experienced figures in their back row.
He has worn the captain's armband through promotion celebrations and relegation disappointments, shared the field with school friends who have remained alongside him for more than a decade, and reached a century of appearances despite serious injury setbacks.
Few players understand more clearly what it would mean for Malone to climb the All-Ireland League ladder again.
And perhaps that is why he refuses to become carried away by five victories.
He has seen the club close to the top of Irish club rugby, and he has seen it struggle to rediscover its confidence.
Now, with an increasingly united squad, a committed coaching team and renewed belief throughout the club, he senses the opportunity to build towards better days.
But the destination remains some distance away.
The nights will grow colder, the fixtures will become tougher and the league table will change before the season reaches its conclusion in April.
For now, Malone's focus extends no further than Saturday's trip to Malahide.
Another game. Another challenge. Another opportunity to demonstrate that the work undertaken over the past two years is beginning to bear fruit.
Todd knows that winning can become a habit.
He also knows that the greatest reward would not be an unbeaten record in November, but the opportunity to celebrate promotion when the season is over.
For a captain who has given so much of his rugby life to Malone, helping restore the club to the level he believes it deserves would be a fitting addition to a journey already filled with unforgettable moments.
And after years of highs, lows and unwavering loyalty, Todd is hoping the next chapter at Gibson Park will bring a few more of the good days.
By Diarmuid Kearney