NRL 2024 crystal ball: Experts reveal top 8 ladder predictions, where every team will finish
From the bold to the bizarre, our NRL experts play clairvoyant to forecast the major headlines for a bumper 2024 season. We predicted top 8 ladder orders and speculate on the biggest talking points of the year.
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Can the Panthers win a fourth straight premiership or will another contender emerge? Will the Tigers claim a third straight wooden spoon or will Benji Marshall finally get Wests off the bottom of the ladder? And who will claim the prestigious Dally M medal? Our NRL experts play clairvoyant to forecast the major headlines for a bumper 2024 season.
2024 NRL TALKING POINTS: OPEN SEASON ON PANTHERS
High-priced stars under pressure to produce, coaches in the spotlight, players leaving or wanting out and teams trying to dethrone the Panthers. The 2024 season is shrouded in mystery with big storylines set to play out all year. Adam Mobbs and Russell Jackson look at the major talking points of the NRL season.
DO BRONCOS HAVE THE DEPTH TO REPEAT THEIR 2023 HEROICS?
The Broncos were less than five minutes away from ending Penrith’s premiership dynasty, and are second favourites to go one better this season.
However, they head into 2024 missing four players from that grand final loss – Herbie Farnworth, Thomas Flegler, Kurt Capewell and Keenan Palasia.
They’re significant losses to absorb, especially considering teams like the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney have added big-name free agents.
While Brisbane’s youth brigade of Reece Walsh, Payne Haas, Selwyn Cobbo and Ezra Mam will improve, and Adam Reynolds has proven you write him off at your peril, you have to ask whether this Broncos side is better than the one that couldn’t get it done when they had Penrith on the rack in the 2023 decider.
WILL MANLY REGRET $3.2M SCHUSTER DEAL?
Manly will start their season without Josh Schuster, after an off-season from hell that included a bout of the chickenpox, a broken finger and a calf issue that ultimately cost him his round 1 place.
With Luke Brooks’ arrival in the halves, Schuster shifts to the left edge of Manly’s back row, but could find himself behind Ben Trbojevic in the pecking order.
Daly Cherry-Evans called out Schuster last year, and Manly has since re-signed him on a four-year $3.2m deal.
Schuster, 22, is an immense talent but time is running out to prove he has the desire to be one of the game’s elite players.
IS THIS THE YEAR WE DON’T SEE A COACH SACKED?
The job safety of an NRL coach is only slightly better than that of a bomb disposal expert, yet 2024 may be the year the knives are put away.
While there is always pressure to produce results, you could make a case that all the clipboard holders will still be standing at the end of 2024.
There will be pressure on rookie coach Benji Marshall, Cameron Ciraldo needs Canterbury performing better in his second season, and Brad Arthur and Todd Payten can’t afford another failed year.
But unless anyone tanks spectacularly, we are unlikely to have scenes like last season when Anthony Griffin, Justin Holbrook and Tim Sheens all failed to see out their tenures.
IS IT FAREWELL BENNY AND BELLAMY?
Their legacies as two modern-day coaching greats are secured, but could Wayne Bennett and Craig Bellamy both walk off into the sunset at the end of 2024?
Bennett will hand over the reins to Kristian Woolf as part of a succession plan at the Dolphins, who hope the super coach will remain with the club in some capacity.
Bennett, 75, has indicated he’d be open to coaching on.
Bellamy has been a year-by-year proposition for a while, and the Storm have given him until mid-season to make a decision. Which one of Jason Ryles or Marc Brentnall will be tasked with trying to avoid becoming one-time Sir Alex Ferguson successor David Moyes.
Having coached for almost a combined 1500 games (Bennett 914, Bellamy 552), it would be a huge loss to see them leave the NRL at the same time.
WILL PARRA’S HALVES REPAY THEIR FANS?
Last season was unacceptable for the high standards Parramatta have set over the past five years.
They’ve gone all-in on lucrative contract extensions for Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown and now 2024 is about the Eels getting a return on investment for their star halves.
With those bumper deals comes the expectation that they’ll lead Parramatta to a premiership.
Brown particularly needs to earn back the fans’ support. He was in stellar form before he was suspended last year for an off-field indiscretion and, at 23, has all the attributes to cement himself as a premier No.6.
PROGRESS OR STILL DOGS’ BREAKFAST?
It’s a massive year for Cameron Ciraldo, who will surely come under fire if the Bulldogs don’t show improvement again under his watch.
The pressure should also apply to head of football Phil Gould, who has been responsible for overhauling the Bulldogs’ roster. On paper, it’s stronger than last year but there are question marks around some of the signings, their failure to address the lack of punch in the middle and the uncertainty around three parts of their spine.
WHAT WILL BENJI BRING TO THE TABLE?
It’s the great unknown. Not since Ricky Stuart 20 years ago has a coach come into first grade with so little experience.
After a two-year apprenticeship that only lasted 12 months, Benji Marshall is now in the Wests Tigers’ hot seat, tasked with avoiding a third consecutive wooden spoon.
While no one is expecting miracles, a team featuring exciting fullback Jahream Bula, star rake Apisai Koroisau and forwards Stefano Utoikamanu, David Klemmer, John Bateman and Isaiah Papali’i shouldn’t be finishing last.
WILL LUAI’S FAREWELL TOUR END ON A HIGH?
Penrith have shown in the past they can handle losing players, but the impending departure of Jarome Luai to Wests Tigers will be a must-watch situation.
Calling his own press conference to announce he was joining the Tigers was a sign of maturity from Luai.
But, how Luai handles it on the field will be crucial. Will he overplay his hand to prove his doubters wrong? Luai’s a big personality and the noise surrounding his exit will be loud. Will it prove a distraction?
HOW WILL THE HUNT-DRAGONS SAGA END?
Ben Hunt has made no secret of his desire to return to Queensland.
New coach Shane Flanagan persuaded Hunt to remain at the Red-V this season, but faces a massive task to convince him to willingly see out the final two years of his deal.
At 33, Hunt isn’t the future, but he is crucial in providing leadership and class to a side lacking the quality of its rivals.
WILL THE STAR FINALLY ALIGN FOR ROOSTERS?
Trent Robinson has assembled one of the strongest rosters in the competition following the addition of Penrith prop Spencer Leniu and Newcastle winger Dominic Young.
The Roosters have failed to finish in the top four in the past three seasons. A similar result this year would be unacceptable. They lose Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii (rugby), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Hull KR), and likely Daniel Tupou (retirement), Joseph Manu and Angus Crichton (both rugby) at the end of the season, so cannot afford to squander their premiership opportunity.
CAN THE WARRIORS RINSE AND REPEAT?
Andrew Webster had an outstanding first season in charge, taking the Warriors within 80 minutes of a grand final.
The ‘Wahs’ were preliminary finalists in the NRL and NSW Cup last season. So why are they everyone’s pick to suffer a drop?
Inconsistency has been in their DNA since their inception but Webster is building a club culture that the players are buying into. The critics aren’t believers but the Warriors are primed to again prove the doubters wrong.
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Originally published as NRL 2024 crystal ball: Experts reveal top 8 ladder predictions, where every team will finish
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