The 2023 season now seems like it ended many, many months ago.
With a large number of players returning to pre-season training, attention has quickly and firmly turned to the 2024 campaign.
With a new season comes new hope, new opportunities and most importantly of all, new recruits!
Today I'm going to rank the ins, outs and re-signings of each of the clubs who finished outside of the finals in 2023.
Not every player will be mentioned, just the ones I see making an impact.
4. Gold Coast Titans
Major ins: Keenan Palasia
Major outs: None
Re-signed: Jayden Campbell, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, David Fifita, Alofiana Khan-Pereira, Moeaki Fotuaika, Brian Kelly, Phillip Sami
Truthfully this campaign was more about re-signing their mega star forward due, they're two young guns and some very talented, rep quality players.
Keenan Palasia is a clever pick up. A big, young forward coming off a good season. There's always a place for that.
They've managed to ensure they're not losing any players of note.
Re-signing wise, they had to move heaven and earth to ensure club captain Big Tino remained on the holiday strip. For the next decade no less.
Jayden Campbell and Alofiana Khan-Pereira both have huge futures at the Titans.
Sami, Fotuaika and Kelly were all celebrated re-signings, and rightly so.
They enter 2024 with pretty much the same squad as 2023. Des Hasler will have to work some miracles given they never looked like genuine Finals contenders.
It's for that reason that they get a passing grade and nothing more.
Grade: C
Jeez Dan – Get Terry to proof-read the content before you publish it !
Wraps for Raps (did the guy arrive in a big ball of cotton-wool?)
Theyโre for Their
Due for Duo
Broncos for Bronson etc
Anyway:
– D for the Dragons is really mean. Theyโve got rid of Hook and signed Flanagan Senior. They havenโt let Ben Hunt walk. The attitude and motivation in the squad has go to be much higher than it was this time last year. Even if they didnโt sign anybody new, those two actions alone have got to be worth a comfortable B
– C for the Titans is a bit mean. Theyโve re-signed Mo and Tino and five good guys. They didnโt break the bank (somehow!) and could still afford Palasia. That has to worth a B at least.
– C for the Dogs is generous. The quality of the guys leaving is greater than the quality of the recruits, (even with Crichton). D for me.
– C for Parra is generous. Signing only Morgan Harper (no offence to him) is not good enough for a pass mark. D for me.
– C for the Cows is equally generous.
– Bunnies look like a B to me, but I won’t squabble over the A