The Parramatta Eels enter 2024 on the back of a dramatic collapse in 2023, and under a mountain of pressure.

The blue and gold endured a topsy-turvy campaign over the last 12 months, but it was one that ultimately wound up with the club finishing outside of the top eight.

Coming off a year where they had made the grand final, it was disappointing at best and downright terrible at worst.

There is little to no doubt that another season like the last one will leave Brad Arthur scrambling for his own head coaching future, and a number of players wondering where their own long-term futures lie.

But there is also no doubt Parramatta have the cattle to turn things around. It's a side with an excellent spine, plenty of powerful forwards and exciting youth throughout the team.

Here are the questions which will determine whether they can do just that throughout the 2024 season.

3. How do the outside backs line up?

One of the bigger question marks heading into 2024 for Brad Arthur is exactly how his back five line up. It could well be that getting this right makes a major difference to the plight of Parramatta.

While it's quite obvious that Clint Gutherson takes the number one jumper, Maika Sivo will be on one wing, and Will Penisini is the first man picked in the centres, just who else plays in the vacant wing and centre position is up in the air.

The Eels have brought Morgan Harper to the club for 2024, while they are still waiting on Haze Dunster and Sean Russell to fulfil the enormous amounts of potential they have shown at every level they played prior to the NRL.

Bailey Simonsson is also at the club, and has been solid since his move from the Raiders without being impressive, while Zac Cini, once rated as one of the best youngsters in the Wests Tigers' system, is another who could feature throughout 2024.

It's difficult to work out exactly which way Arthur will go here, but what Parramatta need is defensively solid players to fix issues out wide. Harper was that two years ago and could get back there under Arthur, while Russell and Dunster need to continue finding new levels.

I'm not going to make a determination here, but Arthur needs to get it right from Round 1.