“YOU ARE THE WORSE COACH I EVER MET” Star player disparaging Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs head coach Cameron Ciraldo
A few highly anticipated teams failed to make it to the playoffs last year, but the Warriors emerged from nowhere to become a real contender for the premiership.
Even if historical data indicates that there might only be two or three changes to the top eight from the previous year in 2024, one significant mover will undoubtedly stand out from the others.
Brad Walter The Rabbitohs missed the finals in the previous season for the first time since 2012 and the first in six years, but they have too strong a team to lose. Jack Wighton, a former NSW Origin player and Kangaroo, is possibly the most important signing South Sydney has made since Latrell Mitchell, whose 2023 season was cut short by injury. Few teams can match the strikepower that Mitchell, Wighton, Cody Walker, Campbell Graham, and Alex Johnston will bring in the backs. There is no reason to miss the finals with a group like the Rabbitohs’, but the Souths are capable of much more than merely competing.
Colleen Edwards: The Gold Coast Titans are a team that is hoping to overcome the impression that they are an underachieving team while having a wealth of skill at their disposal. Although they have an excellent squad with a lot of representative skill, they have struggled to perform well on the field in recent years. Now that Des Hasler, a defensive-minded coach, is in charge, the Titans have a chance to contend provided they can improve at holding out other teams and matching their efficiency on the defensive end of the ball.
Corey Rosser: The Eels ought to finish in the top four of the competition and not just make it back to the finals the next season. Although 2023 was a year they would rather forget, a number of things that shouldn’t have existed in 2024 led to it. The pack is still among the best around, and Dylan Brown and Mitchell Moses are as good as any halves in the NRL on their day. This upcoming season, Parra should easily defeat a number of elite teams and be a strong contender in the postseason.
