The three-peat was achieved by the Penrith Panthers in 2023, in one of the most tightly-contested competitions of the modern era.
The opening third of the season saw some incredibly close margins, with the dominant teams starting to open the gaps on their opponents towards the back end of the year.
The Dolphins won plenty of fans in their inaugural NRL year in a season that many would not have predicted to be as successful.
The Warriors were adopted as many fans' 'second-favourite' team, with many riding the 'Wahs Wave', feeling affection for the Shaun Johnson-led side that arguably endured the hardest journey in and out of the COVID-affected period.
The NRL set new records for viewership and attendance in 2023, and it was a year where so many teams were still mathematically in finals contention until the final few rounds.
There was a plethora of encounters that we had to consider when finalising our top ten games of the year. Did we get them right? Were there any matches that you would have included?
12. Round 27 - Broncos vs Storm: Who needs stars when you have the future?
It's quite rare that much good comes out of two NRL sides resting most of their first-choice 17. It's the same argument around the State of Origin period, debated ad nauseum every single year.
A new tradition however seems to be that the same thing happens in Round 27, and with their top four spots secure, the Broncos and Storm elected to rest just about everybody.
But that's where the complaining stopped. Two thrown together teams put on an excellent display of rugby league at Suncorp Stadium, which would funnily enough be the same setting the two teams would play at a week later in their qualifying final.
Ryan Papenhuyzen looked somewhere near his best across 77 minutes, and the emergence of Sualauvi Fa'alogo was something to witness as the debutant ran on a double.
Jock Madden and Josh Rogers gave the Broncos a glimpse at their depth in the halves, while Tristan Sailor continued to increase his value across 80 minutes.
It may not be memorable in years time, but it's a game well worth re-watching.
