By Nick Campton, ABC
Penrith celebrate winning the 2024 NRL Grand Final. Photo: Photosport
It feels like only yesterday the season wrapped up with Penrith's grand final victory over Melbourne and eyes are already turning towards 2025 as sides around the league plot their own premiership charge.
Here is the biggest question your club faces over the pre-season.
Brisbane Broncos - Where does Ben Hunt fit in?
In signing Ben Hunt, Michael Maguire has solved several of Brisbane's problems in one fell swoop. The Broncos' halves depth cost them last year as Adam Reynolds battled injury and could have done so again this year with Ezra Mam facing a lengthy suspension. In Hunt, they have a player who could fill either role with aplomb should one of the starters go down.
There was a question mark over hooker last season as well, with Billy Walters failing to recapture his 2023 form, Cory Paix seemingly on the outer and Blake Mozer lacking experience - now Hunt, who has played hooker to great acclaim for Queensland and Australia, gives them an instant upgrade in that position.
Hunt also provides a veteran presence for a side that was sorely lacking it through 2024. Once all the Broncos are fit and firing, one would expect Hunt to share the hooking duties with Mozer and perhaps even slot in at lock late in games if Maguire wants to really ramp up the pace.
Canberra Raiders - Who plays hooker?
Dummy half shapes as the final piece of the playmaking puzzle for Canberra with the Raiders locking in Kaeo Weekes at fullback and Jamal Fogarty and Ethan Strange in the halves following impressive seasons for all three in 2024.
Hooker has been a problematic position for the club ever since Josh Hodgson's departure, with Danny Levi, Tom Starling and Zac Woolford all sharing the role at various times. Woolford's departure to Huddersfield leaves Starling and Levi to duke it out with youngster Owen Pattie, who was Jersey Flegg player of the year this season, waiting in the wings for his chance.
But there could still be a twist in the tale yet - while Canberra fell short in their pursuit of Warrington's Danny Walker, they have been linked to Brisbane's Cory Paix and Levi was granted permission to speak to other clubs earlier this year. A new signing over the summer would not surprise.
Canterbury Bulldogs - Where's the extra beef up front?
Canterbury broke a lengthy finals drought in 2024 on the back of a high-energy style that turned their lack of size in the middle of the field into a strength.
Suffocating defence and strong ball movement was the hallmark of their revival and that is a trend that should continue next season, but if they want to take the next step, they still need to find a little more muscle up front.
The Bulldogs did what they could in the player market to address the issue but missed out on the signatures of Stefano Utoikamanu, Daniel Saifiti and Sio Siua Taukeiaho.
Instead, they landed Sitili Tupouniua from the Roosters and Tom Amone from Super League club Leigh Leopards.
Max King has a fine motor, Sam Hughes improved as last year went wrong and Kurt Mann was one of the most underrated signings of 2024, but they need a little more support and the new faces might be the ones to provide it. Tupouniua played both middle and edge over the years for the Tricolours but Amone could prove to be the more valuable purchase.
Formerly a bit-part player for the Rabbitohs and Tigers, his time in England transformed Amone's career - he made the competition's team of the year in 2023 and helped Leigh to their greatest success in decades.
A big summer could put him in the frame to be one of 2025's most astute buys.
Cronulla Sharks - How do they take the last step?
Cronulla have always been a capable team under Craig Fitzgibbon's coaching.
The Sharks are well-drilled and consistent with an open style of play that makes the most of their strengths.
They know what they're doing and how to do it - since the start of 2022, there have been 89 rounds of regular season competition and the Sharks have been in the top eight for 84 of them.
It is a stat that tells the story of their reliability just as their 1-5 finals record in the same period shows their struggles to play their best football when it matters most.
There are reasons to expect them to be the best side of the Fitzgibbon era next year, especially given the arrival of Addin Fonua-Blake - the Tongan skipper is one of the best forwards in the world and changes what they are capable of in the middle of the field.
The Sharks have been good for some time now, but this is their chance to be great.
You win a grand final one night in October but you win a premiership in the summer and that should be Cronulla's goal every single day from now on.
Tonga captain Addin Fonua-Blake leads Tonga in the Sipi Tau ahead of their test against the Kiwis in Auckland in November, 2024. Photo: Photosport
Dolphins - How do they stop the fade-outs?
The competition's youngest club have inched closer to a maiden finals berth but if 2025 is to be their breakthrough year, they must find a way to end the late-season fade-outs that cruelled them in each of their first two seasons.
In 2023, the Phins were sixth after 13 rounds only to lose nine of their last 11 to crash to 13th. Last season was not as dramatic but it was more costly, with the side dropping 10 of their last 14 games, including a de facto play-in game against the Knights, to fall from 4th to 10th.
Was it a lack of depth that cruelled the Dolphins?
Perhaps some of their older players slowed down over the course of an arduous season? Maybe a little of both?
New coach Kristian Woolf will waste no time working it out as he takes over from Wayne Bennett.
In any case, with fresh legs arriving in the form of Kulikfeu Finefuiaki and Daniel Saifiti, the return of Tom Gilbert from injury and the continued progress of Isaiya Katoa, the Dolphins should be locked in on making the top eight for the first time.
Kristian Woolf, who has previoulsy coach English side St Helens and Tonga will take on a new coaching assignment with the Dolphins replacing Wayne Bennett. Photo: Photosport
Gold Coast Titans - What to do with AJ Brimson?
It was a rollercoaster season for Brimson in 2024 - he started the year with a move to the centres (which didn't suit him) before returning to fullback and starring with a month of football that ended with him signing a four-year extension to keep him at the Titans until the end of 2030.
But a groin injury makes Brimson's short-term future somewhat uncertain. In his absence, Keano Kini filled in at fullback well enough to claim the club's player of the year honours and earned a Golden Boot nomination after a fine showing for New Zealand in the Pacific Championship.
With Kini emerging at fullback and Jayden Campbell playing the best football of his career at five-eighth, exactly how Des Hasler fits Brimson into his team remains a mystery.
Another move to the centres, where previously Brimson struggled to inject himself, or a stint as the bench utility seems likely.
Manly Sea Eagles - Who starts in the back line?
Manly have six outside backs and only five spots in the team to fill. Having a bit of depth never hurt anybody but if the Sea Eagles are to get the most out of their back line, which remains their greatest strength, it is a choice they'll need to get right.
Tom Trbojevic's resume speaks for itself at this point and he seems locked in at fullback but beyond that everything is up for grabs.
Between Tolu Koula, Lehi Hopoate, Reuben Garrick, Tommy Talau and Jason Saab, Manly have a raft of options at their disposal. All but Saab can play both wing and centre, which gives them even further options.
Garrick's goal kicking might give him an edge and injury is sure to strike at least once over the course of the season but working out what precise combination is Manly's best is shaping as a fun challenge for coach Anthony Seibold.
Melbourne Storm - Can they avoid a grand final hangover?
Losing a grand final either defines a team's eventual rise to the premiership or destroys their chances of going one further and it all comes down to how they bear the weight of being second-best on the biggest day of the season.
The Storm have been at the pointy end of the competition for so long now that the latter does not seem likely but shrugging off the frustrating 14-6 loss to the Panthers will still take some doing.
Even though Craig Bellamy's side finished as minor premiers, there is still scope for improvement on a technical level.
Cameron Munster missed 10 games over the course of the year, another pre-season will do wonders for Ryan Papenhuyzen's continued comeback and the arrival of Stefano Utoikamanu gives them more size up front.
This is, without question, a premiership-winning roster so long as they can focus on the future instead of being consumed by the past.
Cameron Munster celebrates scoring a try for the Melbourne Storm. Photo: Photosport
Newcastle Knights - Who starts in the halves?
Newcastle went through six different halves combinations in 2024 as Adam O'Brien cycled through the options at his disposal in an effort to strike a winner.
The Knights ended up making the finals with Phoenix Crossland at halfback and Jack Cogger at five-eighth but Jackon Hastings and Tyson Gamble also spent plenty of time in the top grade and Will Pryce earned his NRL debut along the way, to boot.
Landing on a duo who can unleash Kalyn Ponga, Bradman Best and the rest of Newcastle's razor-sharp back line will be crucial if the Knights are to progress in 2025.
The Knights have some serious weapons and must find the right players to aim and fire them.
New Zealand Warriors - Who replaces Shaun Johnson?
Like Newcastle, the Warriors had a series of changes in the halves all through 2024 due to injuries and form fluctuations.
Luke Metcalf, Te Maire Martin and Chanel Harris Tavita all spent time partnering Shaun Johnson or one another in the halves and with Johnson's retirement, there is empty spaces for two of them to seize as their own.
Metcalf and Martin played the best football this season even as Metcalf missed much of the season with a broken leg but their starting jobs are far from won.
The club also signed Tanah Boyd from Gold Coast to add yet another player to the mix. Johnson's retirement leaves a massive hole both technically and culturally and the Kiwi club must land on the right combination if they are to move the team forward.
Shaun Johnson. Photo: Photosport / David Neilson
North Queensland Cowboys - Who starts at halfback?
This summer marks a changing of the guard for North Queensland with Valentine Holmes, Chad Townsend and Kyle Feldt all leaving the club and the Cowboys' chances of improving on last year's fifth-placed finish rest on how they fill those gaps.
The outside backs have a cast of thousands going for the vacant left centre and right wing spots but it is the race at halfback that could prove more crucial.
Jake Clifford ended 2024 as the club's top halfback and has long had the physical tools and playmaking talents to succeed in the NRL but consistency has eluded him since his NRL debut six years ago.
Youngster Jaxon Purdue, who impressed in a variety of roles in his eight NRL appearances last season, will also be in with a shout and another fresh face in Tom Duffy, who now has two full seasons in the Queensland Cup, is also in the mix.
Parramatta Eels - What does the Jason Ryles era look like?
New Eels coach Jason Ryles could not ask for more of a blank slate than what he is got on his hands for his first season in charge of the blue and golds.
Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Maika Sivo and especially Clint Gutherson were all crucial pillars of Brad Arthur's lengthy stint as coach and with a fresh roster and two marquee purchases in Zac Lomax and Josh Addo-Carr, Ryles will have every chance to impose his vision on the Eels.
That is a liberating thing for a side that needed a change and a fresh approach. There is a lot of raw potential here, even with the changes to the roster.
But the flip side is there is so much for Ryles and company to do, from deciding on Gutherson's replacement at fullback to getting the best out of star halves combo Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown to finding a way to help Lomax excel at centre as much as he did on the wing this season.
Penrith Panthers - Who replaces Jarome Luai?
At this point, finding replacements for departing stars is as much a tradition for Penrith as winning premierships and the four-time defending premiers are once again looking to find new faces to carry their dynasty forward.
Newly minted Australian prop Lindsay Smith seems certain to take over for James Fisher-Harris in the front row but exactly who will replace Jarome Luai at five-eighth is far less clear.
The Panthers certainly are not short of options - Blaize Talagai's talent in his rookie season with the Eels was undeniable but he is yet to find his best position and is recovering from shoulder surgery while Jack Cole, Brad Schneider and Daine Laurie are all in with a chance.
It is a crowded field, but given how Penrith have regenerated over the course of their incredible run in recent years, they're odds on to get it right.
South Sydney Rabbitohs - Can Lewis Dodd shine at halfback?
In moving on Lachlan Ilias, the Rabbitohs made it official - they're all in on Lewis Dodd at halfback and just how the Englishman settles into the NRL will go a long way to determining South Sydney's finals hopes.
South Sydney is all in on Lewis Dodd.
Dodd won a premiership with St Helens and kicked the winning field goal in their World Club Challenge win over Penrith in 2023 but his time at Saints was not without blemishes - he was dropped through the middle of this season after a run of poor form.
Aside from George Williams, precious few English halves have even attempted to crack the NRL and at 22, Dodd's best football should still be in front of him.
With the likes of Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker around him and Wayne Bennett as coach, he could not ask for better support but the scrutiny and expectation will be intense from the moment he arrives.
Wayne Bennett is returning to South Sydney as coach in 2025, having perviously coached the Redfern club from 2019-2021. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
St George Illawarra Dragons - Who fills the void left by Zac Lomax and Ben Hunt?
St George Illawarra closed the door on an era and opened up a fair bit of cap space when Zac Lomax and Ben Hunt left the club.
They are already making moves with the latter with a big recruitment drive that includes Damien Cook, Clint Gutherson, Valentine Holmes and Lachlan Ilias to give Shane Flanagan a new-look side for 2025.
But Lomax and Hunt are big things to replace.
With a try-and-assist combo of 34, Hunt was responsible for over a third of the club's tries last season. Lomax, in the best year of his NRL career, scored over a quarter of the club's 508 points.
There was an over-reliance on the duo that made life hard at times for the Red V, but they were at the heart of so much the Dragons did well last year and replacing their production shapes as a tall order for the new brigade.
Sydney Roosters - Can they regenerate through youth?
For the first time in several years, the Roosters do not quite have a galaxy of stars at their disposal.
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Joseph Manu and Luke Keary are all gone from the run-and-gun back line that scored so freely and easily last year while forwards Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Terrell May and Sitilu Tupouniua have followed them out the door.
That is not to say they are without talent - the Roosters rarely are - but it is a lot of skill and power to replace and Chad Townsend is the club's only signing with NRL experience so their regeneration has to come from within.
Outside back Robert Toia and props Xavier and De La Salle Va'a are three players the club has high hopes for and a big summer could give them a chance to make an impact on season 2025.
Wests Tigers - Can Jarome Luai lead a Tiger revival?
The Tigers have put together the strongest squad the embattled club has had in some time. Sunia Turuva and Jeral Skelton will help fill out the back line and Terrell May is a fine addition up front.
But so much of what they do next year will come down to Jarome Luai, who has been saddled with the task of leading the joint venture back from three straight wooden spoons.
On the field, he will not be alone - between Api Koroisau and impressive youngsters Jahream Bula and Lachlan Galvin, there is plenty of ability, both old and new.
But the Tigers need an injection of confidence and swagger to shake them out of the doldrums and Luai can provide both in spades, a process that will begin long before they open their season against the Knights in Campbelltown.
-ABC
