A new year has arrived, and NRL clubs will be back from their Christmas breaks to ramp up pre-season training in the next week.
The final run to the season often brings with it heightened intensity and discussion as fans ready themselves for the new campaign.
This year could on another level altogether with the season opening in Las Vegas a week ahead of schedule.
Expectations are a funny thing though. Every year, there are teams who will go well beyond what they were expected to do, and others who fall a long way short of where they were supposed to be.
But what exactly are those expectations for all 17 NRL teams in 2024?
Here is what your team needs to do to earn a pass in 2024.
15. Bulldogs: In top eight fight
One of those clubs whose fans will no doubt be suggesting that finals are the bare minimum expectations are the Bulldogs, who have had a long, lean stint without success.
That absolutely must change in 2024.
Canterbury have continued their long recruitment run under new coach Cameron Ciraldo and ever willing to talk director of football Phil Gould.
Eyebrows have certainly been raised over the nature of some of the moves though, with utilities joining the Bulldogs from the left, right and centre.
That isn't neccessarily a bad thing, although there are plenty of questions over how the Belmore-based outfit will line up for the 2024 season.
We are saying that, at the very least, they need to be in the top eight fight. Whether they make the finals or not is another story. Long-suffering fans of the club will believe this is a must given the arrival of Stephen Crichton, but we aren't so sure.
