Last year the Warriors came from nowhere to end up a genuine premiership contender, while on the other side of it a couple of highly fancied teams ended up missing the finals altogether.
While recent history suggests there could be only two or three changes to the previous year's top eight in 2024, there is bound to be a major mover that stands out from the rest.
Here are the NRL.com writers with their take on the most likely candidates.
Which NRL team will be the biggest improver in 2024?
Brad Walter: The Rabbitohs missed the finals last season for the first time in six years and just the third time since 2012, but they have too good a squad to fall short again. The recruitment of former Kangaroos and NSW Origin star Jack Wighton is arguably the most significant since South Sydney signed Latrell Mitchell, who had an injury disrupted 2023 season. Mitchell, Wighton, Cody Walker, Campbell Graham and Alex Johnston will provide a strikepower in the backs that few clubs can match. With a roster like the one the Rabbitohs possess, there is no excuse for missing the finals, but Souths are capable of much more than just being in the mix.
NRL try time: Campbell Graham
Colleen Edwards: Given the wealth talent at their disposal, the Gold Coast Titans are a side who will looking to shake off a perception of perennial underachievement. On paper they have an impressive roster filled with representative talent, but in recent years, they have just not been able to put things together on the field. With a defensively minded coach in Des Hasler now in charge, if the Titans can better hold out their opposition teams and match their effectiveness on the other side of the ball, they can be a serious contender.
Corey Rosser: The Eels should not only return to the finals next season but do so as part of the competition's top four. While 2023 was one to forget for them, there were plenty of factors which contributed to it that shouldn't be around in 2024. On their day Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown are as good as any halves in the NRL and the pack is still one of the best around. Expect Parra to beat plenty of top teams this coming season and be right in the mix come the playoffs.
Dan Talintyre: The Parramatta Eels struggled for any sort of consistency amidst a myriad of off-field issues and on-field ill-discipline. Couple that with some ill-timed injuries and more suspensions than any other team and it was a year that had all the makings of a disaster... except for the fact that they finished one point outside the top eight. Sure, it’s a long fall from grace from playing in a grand final the year before, but the point remains the same: if that’s the outcome of a “worst case scenario”, then the turnaround is possible. Parramatta should be in the mix for a home final next year; their squad is strong and talented, and they boast an impressive forward pack capable of handling even the best teams in the competition.
Parramatta Eels best long-range tries in 2023
Kelsey Hogan: An overwhelming sense of disappointment followed Canterbury-Bankstown's busy recruitment drive last season, but following another signings spree – which has seen the club lure 10 new recruits including Penrith star centre Stephen Crichton and Sharks utility Connor Tracey – it should be different this time. With options and depth aplenty, coach Cameron Ciraldo’s plan will start to take shape this season and the Bulldogs can get on a nice run.
Crichton looking to excite in blue and white
Martin Lenehan: The time has come for the Bulldogs to turn sensational recruitment in to a top-eight finish. With the ultimate big game player, Stephen Crichton, arriving at Belmore along with a host of other solid players, the excuses will wear very thin very quickly with long-suffering Dogs fans should they not aim up in 2024. The club’s last premiership came two decades ago and it has now been seven years since they graced the finals, so you can forgive the faithful for wondering when the much-hyped five-year plan is going to bear fruit. With Crichton adding a new dimension to the Bulldogs’ attack and Josh Curran and Kurt Mann bringing the work ethic that has defined their careers, they can make an early statement against Sydney rivals Parramatta and Cronulla in the opening two rounds before hosting the Titans in front of a packed house at Belmore.
