If anything, the club’s famed depth of talent and desire for premiership rings – and perhaps the first drop-off in either in half a decade – shape as the Panthers biggest hurdles, along with a Las Vegas season-opener and shift to CommBank Stadium while their own home ground is rebuilt.

As for their 16 rivals? Hope abounds as always, some more than others, some misplaced and all chasing the greatest side of the modern era.

Another Storm-Panthers grand final wouldn’t surprise but neither would Melbourne prevailing.

Their squad depth is the best in the NRL, to the point fullback Sua Fa’alogo is fighting for a bench spot, along with veteran forward Christian Welch and the likes of Alec MacDonald (22 games this season), Joe Chan and Lazarus Vaalepu.

Stefano Utoikamanu arrives with a slightly battered reputation following his 2024 contract saga and subsequent form dip but has all the hallmarks of being spun into another Craig Bellamy success story.

Elsewhere, Cronulla will add million-dollar prop Addin Fonua-Blake to a largely unchanged squad where nine players moved past the 100-game mark this year. It’s a significant milestone, for none more so than Nicho Hynes, who remains the biggest question mark in terms of a title-winning combination between he, Braydon Trindall and Daniel Atkinson.

Manly’s hopes of pushing past a finals fling will start and end with Tom Trbojevic as always, along with their ability to grind opponents down rather than just blast them off the paddock.

Canterbury boast that in spades under Cameron Ciraldo, and will be better once more for their breakthrough campaign, along with the arrival of Sitili Tupouniua and most likely Marcelo Montoya.

A match-winning No.7 of Ben Hunt’s calibre is seen by some as the last piece of their roster puzzle, though Toby Sexton has plenty more development left in him too.

Michael Maguire and Brisbane. Water and oil? Or the hard edge needed by a squad dripping with talent but all too aware of it? The fitness of Adam Reynolds, Reece Walsh and Payne Haas holds the key, as the three biggest players at any club always will. But the Broncos’ is a top-four roster in any rugby league language.

Tom Flegler’s exit as their third top-tier middle alongside Haas and Pat Carrigan has been underplayed in their demise, with emerging forwards Xavier Willison and Ben Te Kura next up. All eyes will be on Blake Mozer’s progress as one of the game’s best young hookers.

As for Wayne Bennett and the Bunnies, we know it works. And if he can get 20-plus games out of Latrell Mitchell (which he’s never managed for South Sydney), there’s more than enough firepower to lift the club back into finals form. The same forward depth issue of the season just gone remains, while Lewis Dodd is a largely unknown quantity at halfback – on a healthy wage north of $600,000.

Jason Ryles undoubtedly has the fullest plate of the new coaches, with Clint Gutherson granted permission to hit the market early and in all likelihood out the door by round 1.

Plumping for rookie Isaiah Iongi is a hell of a gamble at fullback and all 20 fingers and toes crossed for Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown staying on the paddock. There’s just not enough depth if either man is out for a significant portion of the year.

Even with almost 800 NRL games of experience exiting alongside Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Luke Keary, Joey Manu and Joseph Suaalii, a first-choice Roosters line-up still features an all-representative forward pack and a backline led by James Tedesco.

It’s the knee reconstructions that will sideline Sam Walker and Brandon Smith until midway through next year that are the genuine flies in Trent Robinson’s ointment, particularly Walker’s given his rapid development in 2024.

Code-hopper Mark Nawaqanitawase will be a fascinating watch. He’s undoubtedly up to NRL standard, though the nuances of defending at centre will be the Roosters off-season focus.

The Cowboys have already proven they’ve got the attack, and the forward pack, to trouble any NRL defence. Matching that class without the ball is their curliest question, along with depth out wide.

And as for the Warriors, how they fell from preliminary finalists to also-rans this year largely remains a mystery. The arrival of James Fisher-Harris should present a new standard around the club, while they’d dearly love to see Luke Metcalf stay on the paddock, along with captain Tohu Harris.

St George Illawarra’s finals drought really should have been broken last season, which Shane Flanagan is all too aware of. Add Clint Gutherson to this line-up and their stocks improve markedly. Josh Addo-Carr won’t be at the Bulldogs and could well land in red and white too, boosting their stocks out wide where reinforcements are needed most.

Ben Hunt’s future is the million-dollar question though, with plenty of water still to flow under that bridge. Who knows where the Dragons turn for a halfback if he does depart.

The Knights fortunes rest at the scrumbase too given Jackson Hastings’ $700,000-plus salary is far too large to have him playing reserve grade.

Kalyn Ponga needs support as an attacking threat, and the best bet may be young Englishman Will Pryce if he can lift his defence. There’s enough grit in Adam O’Brien’s side to have them perennially in the finals conversation.

It’s a similar story for Kristian Woolf at the Dolphins. They’ve proven themselves a handful for any opposition. The fitness of key forwards Tom Gilbert (ACL) and Tom Fleger (shoulder) is critical. If they can get on the paddock and stay there, Woolf has a genuine finals side at his disposal. If they’re missing again, then their depth, improved once more, does become an issue again.

Des Hasler and the Titans really shouldn’t be in this category. But for anyone who has put stock in the Gold Coast making a premiership run before, you know why they are. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui’s return adds to an already formidable pack – on paper – that should be performing better on the paddock. Hasler has plenty of strike power out wide as well, but once again, defence is the Titans issue.

At Canberra, there’s no denying the club is in transition, with plenty of promise in their young outside backs like Kaeo Weekes, Xavier Savage and Albert Hopoate, along with No.6 Ethan Strange. If Corey Horsburgh can get back to his best the pack looks much stronger, otherwise there remains a significant gap between props Joe Tapine and Josh Papalii and their replacements.

Loading

And as for the Tigers? All the hope in the world given Jarome Luai joins a spine already featuring Api Koroisau, Lachlan Galvin and Jahream Bula. Sunia Turuva, Royce Hunt and Jack Bird all add to the roster too alongside the club’s promising juniors. The joint-venture is genuinely on the improve, but there’s a ways to go yet before finals are a realistic proposition.

Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.