The Brisbane Broncos fell agonisingly short of their first premiership in almost two decades last year, and will now aim to maintain the rage heading into 2024.
Some big name exits from Red Hill aren't about to make life any easier for coach Kevin Walters though, with the club also aiming to prove they can now be consistent at the top.
With an ageing halfback, questions over their depth and and off-field contract negotiations likely to be a distraction, here are the five big questions likely to shape the 2024 campaign for the Brisbane Broncos.
4. Will Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam deliver again?
Speaking of players gaining experience and continuing to improve, the two stars of the show for Brisbane - and the two players who realistically captured the minds of fans left, right and centre, were Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam.
Both players were simply phenomenal for the Red Hill based outfit.
The Broncos were, by some, criticised for bringing Walsh back to the detriment of other young fullbacks who had stayed with the club. That included Selwyn Cobbo, but given he has re-signed despite playing away from the number one jersey, and given the incredible season Walsh put together, you won't find anyone suggesting it was the wrong move now.
Mam, on the other hand, has been a prodigy for many years in the Brisbane system, but even his biggest fans would have been stunned by the speed he improved in 2023, finished with a stunning grand final hat-trick tbhat saw the Broncos putting a hand on the premiership trophy before having it yanked away by Penrith.
In key spine positions, these two players must again be at their best in 2024 to have Brisbane firing, and given the losses elsewhere in the squad, some would argue they may even need to find another gear.
