South Sydney Rabbitohs were only one win away from a second consecutive grand final appearance last year and while they look to be in good shape, there's a few key areas they can improve on which could help them go all the way in 2023.
NRL.com looks at three areas the Rabbitohs will want to improve to ensure they play finals again in 2023.
Hold the ball
Possession is nine-tenths of the law, especially in rugby league. On the field, giving over possession to the opposition is a major crime.
The Rabbitohs made 317 errors in 2022 - the second most behind Cronulla. It came back to bite them particularly in the preliminary final against Penrith, when they completed at just 72 per cent.
Last season, the Rabbitohs were also the worst offenders for losing the ball in the first tackle - a coach's nightmare.
Overall, the number of times the ball was lost on tackle one for the Bunnies was 28, forcing the side to do much more defending than necessary. Ball control is key.
Season shapers: Rabbitohs
Kicking under pressure and variety
A good kicking game comprises of a number of skills and a well-placed long kick is a must. Finding space and gaining metres can be a key weapon in the attacking arsenal of any team, putting their opposition on the back foot.
Last year, the Bunnies ranked 16th for attacking kicks, 16th for long kicks, 16th for kick metres and 10th for forced dropouts.
The departure of Adam Reynolds to Brisbane meant that Cody Walker and Lachlan Ilias were working each other out in 2022, but that will need to improve this season, particularly in the pressure-cooker periods.
With all the talk of the inexperience in the halves for the Gold Coast Titans, the Rabbitohs, with the more established pairing of Walker and Ilias, were in fact equal on 21 with the Gold Coast and also had the lowest kick metres behind Titans as well.
Wrong place, wrong time
The Rabbitohs boast one of the competition's most celebrated forward packs and rightfully so, but three of their star players found themselves at the wrong end of game quite literally too many times last season.
Cam Murray (54), Keaon Koloamatangi (49) and Jai Arrow (48) were in the top 10 in the NRL for being out of play around the ruck in defence.
As all coaches will tell you, forwards out of ruck puts pressure on the rest of the defensive line, either condensing the defenders if players are still working to get back onside, or it can open the door for quick-thinking dummy halves to take off in the gaps around them.
It might not appear to be much of an issue, but opposition coaches will be identifying that for the new year.
