Overall I'd say that the 2023 NRL season was a huge success.

We had an all time great Grand Final, we may have seen the greatest era in the game's history, a multitude of future stars emerging and the introduction of a brand new club.

I'd also like to think that we learned a few things a long the way.

10 things to be exact!

Below are those very ten things that we learned in 2023:

9. Big names don't always equate to big improvements

The Wests Tigers added two marquee names in Apisai Koroisau and Isaiah Papali'i heading into the 2023 season. They finished dead last.

The Bulldogs recruitment spree included Viliame Kikau, Reed Mahoney and Ryan Sutton, yet they were a mile away from a finals finish.

Viliame Kikau during the round two NRL match between the Melbourne Storm and Canterbury Bulldogs at AAMI Park on March 11, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Grimes/Zero Digital Sports)

Big name recruits are amazing, and I have no doubt each player mentioned will play a big role in their respective club moving forward, but they don't guarantee success.

This has always been the case when it comes to signings but 2023 seemed to confirm that struggling clubs throwing big money and big name players certainly isn't without risk of failure.