Want to avoid a Panthers four-peat? Here’s your team’s to-do list over summer
By Michael Chammas and Adrian Proszenko
Can Penrith pull off a four-peat?Credit: Monique Westermann
Penrith Panthers
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1. Secure Jarome Luai’s signature for 2025 and beyond
Luai signed a new management deal with Black Money Enterprises in the weeks following the grand final win. The Panthers have already indicated to him they can only afford to pay him about $800,000.
Will Jarome Luai stay or will he go?Credit: Nathan Perri
2. Work out where Mitch Kenny, Taylan May and Sunia Turuva fit into their plans
The club is in a holding pattern with these three as they work out whether Luai is going to recommit to the club. If Luai stays, potentially two of this trio will be departing at the end of 2024.
3. New stadium design and home ground contingency plans
The Panthers have begun correspondence over plans to refurbish their stadium. They are expecting to be without a home in 2025 and need to strike a deal with CommBank Stadium for their home games.
4. Sort out major sponsor
Oak’s time on the front of Penrith’s jersey is now over. On November 1, the club will announce a new major sponsor.
5. World Club Challenge itinerary
The Panthers played last year’s game at home, losing to St Helens. Club powerbrokers will have to decide if they’re willing to head abroad for next year’s instalment to redeem themselves.
St George Illawarra Dragons
1. Convince Ben Hunt that things will be different under Shane Flanagan
Hunt has pledged his commitment for 2024 but is still considering requesting a release in the final year of his deal. How he handles the year will dictate the Dragons’ season.
Shane Flanagan and Ben Hunt: 2024 dynamic duo?Credit: Nathan Perri
2. Zac Lomax or Tyrell Sloan: Who will play fullback?
It appears as though Sloan has a lot of work to do, especially defensively, to convince the coach he should wear the No.1 jersey in round one.
3. Buy some forwards
Flanagan has been upfront about his concerns around the quality of his forward pack. He might not be able to add much in 2024 but he’s looking to make a splash in 2025.
4. Win back the faithful
Dragons fans have been disenchanted with the club over recent years. Poor performances have been compounded by a genuine disconnect between the team and its most staunch supporters.
5. Deal with Junior Amone fallout
The five-eighth’s future is again clouded after he was found guilty of a hammer attack on a roofing contractor that could result in jail time. He will be sentenced in December; the Dragons need to consider contingency plans.
Wests Tigers
1. Decide on halves pairing
New coach Benji Marshall will have to fit two into three. Aidan Sezer, Jayden Sullivan and Latu Fainu are their halves options to start the season.
New coach Benji MarshallCredit: Nathan Perri
2. Implement findings from external review
The final interviews are being conducted in preparation for the review to be submitted. There could be some key changes afoot as a result.
3. Sort out boardroom squabble
The last thing Marshall needs is a civil war playing out in the background. The club’s powerbrokers need to put aside their differences or move along.
4. Find some strike-power in the outside backs
The Tigers have a strong forward pack but don’t have the artillery in the back line to consistently pose a threat with the ball in hand. They need a big recruit.
5. Get Isaiah Papali’i firing
The former Warriors and Eels back-rower wasn’t at his best in 2023. They need more from him next season as conjecture over his future bubbles along in the background.
Parramatta Eels
1. Find a hooker
The departure of Reed Mahoney last year, compounded by the early retirement of Josh Hodgson, has left the Eels short on quality No.9s.
2. Keep or find a general manager
The Wests Tigers are expected to come in for general manager Mark O’Neill. The Eels may have to put their hands in their pockets and look for a replacement.
3. Find an X-factor
Despite the club’s public denials, the coaching staff tinkered with the idea of moving Clint Gutherson to the centres to find an X-factor fullback. They wanted Jayden Campbell. That ship has now sailed, but they’re still on the lookout.
4. Minimise the inevitable noise around the coach
Brad Arthur is the longest-serving coach in Eels history. The team’s inability to back up a 2022 grand final berth with a finals appearance in 2023 is a concern. You can be assured the drums will start beating in the event of some early losses.
5. Find a back-up half
Jake Arthur’s mid-season transfer to Manly, and the expected departure of young gun Ethan Sanders to Canberra in 2025, will leave the Eels short on depth in the halves.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
1. Decide if Stephen Crichton is a fullback or centre
Crichton was expected to wear the No.1 at the Bulldogs next year but the conversation has shifted since the signing of Blake Taaffe. Coach Cameron Ciraldo now has a decision to make.
How will the Bulldogs best use three-time premiership winner Stephen Crichton?Credit: Nathan Perri
2. Team bonding
With so many new faces joining the club, there will be an emphasis on trying to unite an unfamiliar group.
3. Make a decision on Josh Addo-Carr’s future
Recent incidents have raised concerns over the winger’s future at the club. They won’t want it being a distraction heading into the pre-season.
4. Stability at board level
The last thing the Bulldogs need is more instability. They have elections early in the new year. The result could have major ramifications on key personnel at the club.
5. Clear the poison
The Bulldogs have already moved on a number of players they deemed to be a hindrance to their rebuild under Ciraldo. It won’t take long to work out if there are any more problematic players in the ranks.
New Zealand Warriors
1. Welcome back Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
RTS’s return from rugby union is a huge boost for the club on the back of an impressive 2023 campaign which saw Kiwis fall back in love with the club.
2. Figure out where Roger plays
Tuivasa-Sheck won’t dethrone Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad in the Warriors backline and is expected to play on the wing or in the centres. It’ll be hard leaving out Marcelo Montoya or Dallin Watene-Zelezniak based on 2023 form.
The Warriors rode a wave of Kiwi support in 2023. Now to keep it…Credit: Getty
3. Decide on a five-eighth
Te Maire Martin and Luke Metcalf were both outstanding for the Warriors at stages in 2023. Coach Andrew Webster has a decision on his hands. Chanel Harris-Tavita also returns after a one-year sabbatical.
4. Maintain Warriors fever
Up the Wahs! The club needs to continue the momentum built in 2023 as they slowly close the rather large gap on rugby union.
5. Retain Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
He was a revelation in 2023 and becomes a free agent on November 1. The Warriors want to hold onto him beyond next season.
Gold Coast Titans
1. Get to know Des Hasler
The wacky professor is back in rugby league and you can guarantee the Titans players are in for a surprise.
2. Figure out the best way to use Jayden Campbell
Campbell is too good of a player to be wasted on the bench but with AJ Brimson at the club, Hasler has a big decision to make in regards to his No.1 for next year.
Des Hasler returns to a head coaching role with the Titans for next season.Credit: Getty
3. A plan to keep David Fifita in the game
Fifita was much improved in 2023. Hasler needs to continue to find ways to get Fifita involved and get value for money out of his monster deal.
4. Find some starch in the pack
The Titans finished 2023 as the second-worst team in the competition for post-contact metres. Hasler is notorious for wanting to play off a dominant pack.
5. Own south-east Queensland
With the Brisbane Tigers preparing a bid to enter the competition as the 18th team, and the success of the Dolphins’ inaugural season, pressure is growing on the Titans to sure up the region’s young talent.
Newcastle Knights
1. Decide on what they do with Jayden Brailey
The rise of Phoenix Crossland poses a problem for the Knights. The injury-prone Brailey is on a deal worth about $650,000, but clubs are now circling Crossland, who is a free agent on November 1.
2. Adam O’Brien extension
The club is in the process of extending the tenure of the coach, who midway through the 2023 season was facing the axe.
3. Decide on a Dom Young replacement
With the Englishman bound for the Sydney Roosters, the Knights lose some strike power out wide. There’s already talk of potentially moving Dane Gagai to the wing.
4. Help English imports settle in
The Knights have signed English duo Kai Pearce-Paul and Will Pryce. Pearce-Paul is expected to slot straight into the back row as a replacement for Super League-bound Lachlan Fitzgibbon.
5. Design a program to start strong
The Knights don’t want to wait until the end of the season to ignite their campaign again. They need to design their off-season program to ensure they get out of the blocks quickly.
North Queensland Cowboys
1. Re-sign Tom Dearden
The Queensland Origin representative becomes a free agent on November 1. The Cowboys need to make sure he remains in Townsville. He will demand north of $800,000 a season.
2. Find ways to improve away record
The Cowboys won just four of their 12 games on the road in 2023. The year before, when they made the top four, they won eight away from home.
3. Work on defence
Only the Bulldogs averaged more missed tackles than the Cowboys in 2023. An average of 39.5 missed tackles per game is a statistic coach Todd Payten will be trying to improve next season.
4. Retain Kulikefu Finefeuiaki
The teenage back-rower has attracted plenty of interest from rival clubs ready to make him offers from November 1. The problem lies below.
5. How do they fit all their back-rowers into the team?
Heilum Luki, Jeremiah Nanai and Luciano Leilua are all starting calibre players on decent money. Throw Finefeuiaki into the mix and the Cowboys have a problem.
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
1. Re-sign Haumole Olakau’atu
A huge $5.6 million package deal to upgrade and extend Olakau’atu until at least the end of 2030 remains unsigned. Ongoing speculation about his future would be destabilising.
2. Get Josh Schuster fit
The $800,000 back-rower needs a huge off-season to get his mind and body right. Can’t afford a repeat of his troubled 2023 campaign.
3. Get Tom Trbojevic fit
This man needs to be on the field for the majority of the season if Manly are to become genuine contenders. It’s been a while since that happened.
4. Finalise Anthony Seibold’s roster
The Sea Eagles aren’t under salary cap pressure, although several contracted players have been given permission to explore their options. The final spots in the top-30 need to be resolved.
5. Get Luke Brooks and Daly Cherry-Evans to gel
This could be a potentially dynamic new halves pairing for Manly. However, the two have never played together and will need to get plenty of reps in over the summer.
Sydney Roosters
1. Is Angus Crichton going or staying?
This has the potential to become a distraction if allowed to fester. The Roosters were anticipating Crichton would leave, until negotiations with Rugby Australia unravelled.
2. Address slow starts to season
This has been an issue for several years. A late flurry to make the 2023 play-offs masks a bigger issue over the timing of the preparation.
3. Make an early call on Joseph Suaalii
He’s going to rugby anyway and is on big dollars for next year. With Joey Manu and Billy Smith locked in as centres and Dom Young and Daniel Tupou on the wing, where does Suaalii fit in?
4. Sign Siua Wong
Perhaps the most in-demand forward in either rugby code. He’s on a bargain-basement deal, so the Roosters are going to have to up the ante to keep him.
5. Luke Keary and Sam Walker?
They have shown glimpses of brilliance as a halves pairing, but the club needs to decide if they are capable of winning a competition together. Keary will become a free agent on November 1.
South Sydney Rabbitohs
1. Decide if Lachlan Ilias is the answer at No.7
The jury is out after Ilias had a poor finish to the season. Could Cody Walker be the answer at halfback?
2. Pull star players into line
Whether warranted or otherwise, Sam Burgess’ departure has prompted speculation that Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker are given too much slack. Perception becomes reality when results don’t follow.
Does Latrell Mitchell need to be pulled into line?Credit: Nathan Perri
3. Decide where Jack Wighton provides bang for their buck
The Rabbitohs are adamant Wighton will feature at left centre in 2024. This is a star the Raiders were prepared to pay about $1.1 million per annum to keep.
4. Get the staff on the same page
Assistants Sam Burgess and John Morris and physio Eddie Farah are among the staff leaving. It’s a radical shake-up of a backroom roster who weren’t all pulling in the one direction last season.
5. Prepare for a fast start
This alone isn’t a guarantee of success, given Souths were first after the opening 11 rounds this year. However, after bombing out of finals contention, early losses will heap pressure on coach Jason Demetriou.
Cronulla Sharks
1. Hatch a plan to beat the top sides
It’s now becoming a mental obstacle. You can’t win a premiership if you can’t beat the sides in the top half of the ladder.
2. Fix the left-edge defence
The Sharks conceded an additional five points per game in 2023 compared to the previous season. Of most concern is a porous left-edge defence, which can no longer be plugged by Wade Graham.
Wade Graham’s departure leaves a hole for the 2016 premiers.Credit: Getty
3. Find an X-factor
The Sharks haven’t made a single addition to a roster which again fell short this year. The departure of Graham – and Matt Moylan if he doesn’t stick around – would free up some money.
4. Replace Mick Ennis
The former hooker oversaw the club’s development programs, which are full of promising juniors. Now that Ennis has gone to Manly, this needs to be a priority.
5. Finish the precinct redevelopment
The leagues club precinct remains out of play and there is no timeline as to when it is completed. An additional 1500 spectators should be able to squeeze in when it’s done.
Canberra Raiders
1. Spend Jack Wighton’s money judiciously
The Raiders have money to spend, but are struggling to attract a playmaker. Quality spine players of Wighton’s standing are hard to find and even harder to attract to the nation’s capital.
2. Coaching call
The NSW coaching job is Michael Maguire’s to lose. Can he juggle that, his Kiwis role and still be an assistant to Ricky Stuart? The Raiders need to decide whether “Madge” is spreading himself too thin.
3. Decide whether Sebastian Kris is a fullback
He wore the No.1 jersey in just about every game until Jordan Rapana took over right at the death. If he needs to develop his game as a fullback, the pre-season is a good start.
4. Keep tapping into England
Wigan star Morgan Smithies is the latest Englishman linked to the club. The Raiders should continue to raid what has been fertile ground for league talent.
5. Work on the attack
Almost every week is a grind for the Raiders and it takes its toll. The club’s biggest victory of the year, not achieved until round 26 against the Bulldogs, was just 12 points.
Melbourne Storm
1. Replenish the forward pack
The losses of Brandon Smith, Jesse Bromwich, Kenny Bromwich, Felise Kaufusi were too much to overcome at the business end of the season. Finding replacements is a priority.
2. Convince Bellamy to coach on
You can set your clock to it: the speculation over whether the next campaign is Bellamy’s last. He’s arguably the best coach in the game, so convince him to stay.
3. Ensure ‘Pappy’ is happy
Hearts sunk when Ryan Papenhuyzen suffered yet another season-ending injury. Get a full pre-season into him so he’s ready to reclaim his No.1 jersey permanently.
4. Re-sign Sualauvi Faalogo
Made a stunning debut that has put him on every club’s radar. Faalogo has a club option for 2025; show the fullback there’s a pathway to first grade and then upgrade and extend him.
5. Use or lose Jonah Pezet
This half is a situation crying out for a Harry Grant-style swap deal. While stuck behind the current playmakers, give him NRL experience in another system and get someone in return.
Brisbane Broncos
1. Sign Ezra Mam
He showed just how electric he can be during the grand final. Re-sign him before he becomes a free agent.
2. Watch the 2023 grand final again
The painful lessons from that loss could be the making of this team. As hard as it is to stomach, the staff and players need that hurt to fuel them for the next 12 months.
3. Keep the Dolphins in check
They have already lost Tom Flegler and Herbie Farnworth to their new neighbours. They can’t afford to lose fans to the Dolphins as well.
4. Start planning for life without Adam Reynolds
The veteran halfback won’t be around for much longer. If you don’t already know who is replacing him, you have a problem.
5. Contain Reece Walsh
It’s one thing that opposition defences haven’t been able to do. The young fullback has had a few minor indiscretions off the field, such as his ‘mum’ jibe in the lead-up to the decider. The club can’t afford for him to get ahead of himself.
Dolphins
1. Convince Wayne Bennett to stay
The master coach has kept his options open beyond next season. The club should do everything in its power to keep him longer.
2. Sign a marquee man
They’ve done a good job with the players they’ve been able to assemble, but the Dolphins are yet to land a franchise player after missing out on Cameron Munster, Cody Walker, Brandon Smith and countless others.
3. Let Kristian Woolf become even more hands-on
Bennett’s succession plan will soon be in full effect, so it’s time to let the incoming coach get more involved. That shouldn’t be a problem for Bennett, who isn’t afraid to delegate.
4. Bolster depth
Not an easy task for a start-up franchise, but one that needs to happen. The Dolphins won six of their first 10 games, but fell away when injuries and suspensions took their toll.
5. Plan for the future
Kenny Bromwich, Jesse Bromwich, Mark Nicholls and Felise Kaufusi were the hard-heads Bennett needed for the club’s inaugural season. However, they are coming to the end of their careers and now is the time to find their replacements. Tom Flegler is a good start.
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