As the 2023 NRL season is just about to kick off, it’s time to place our predictions for how we think the ladder will look at the end of Round 27.

The season is shaping up to be another interesting one, with plenty of big-name moves, including Brandon Smith to the Roosters, Reed Mahoney to the Bulldogs and Apisai Koroisau landing at the Tigers.

17. Newcastle Knights

After finishing just two spots off the bottom last season, Newcastle are staring down the barrel of yet another poor year of rugby league.

Their struggles last season proved that what they have in place is far from a winning method, and despite making a few solid signings, their squad is mostly the same.

The moving of Kalyn Ponga from fullback to five-eighth is a risky one – they don’t have another proven No. 1 in their squad and Ponga’s previous outings at five-eighth weren’t exactly groundbreaking.

The truth is that much of what the Knights are relying on to guide them to success this year is uncertain and unproven. It will be a rocky one.

16. St George Illawarra Dragons

Having failed to make the top eight last year despite being led by Origin hero and Dally M runner-up Ben Hunt, the Dragons’ woes are looking likely to continue into the 2023 season.

Recent media coverage of St George has pointed towards some issues among the playing group. Not only did two teammates have a punch-up, but the team were still out drinking at 6am after copping a harsh loss in the Charity Shield.

It seems as though the playing group aren’t where they should be with the season right around the corner.

Furthermore, their lack of signings in the off-season means that what we could be seeing from the Dragons this year will be more of the same.

15. Dolphins

In their inaugural NRL season the Dolphins will be looking to scrape up as many wins as they can.

Their roster is relatively weak in comparison to other NRL sides and consists of multiple players who are completely unfamiliar with one another.

However, if they can build some strong combinations and follow the wise lead of Wayne Bennett, they should be able to notch up a few wins and finish away from the bottom of the ladder.

14. New Zealand Warriors

It’s hard to place the Warriors much higher than 14th when they haven’t finished in the top eight since 2018.

Having been through a considerable amount of adversity in recent years, there is every possibility that this Warriors side could bounce back and put a good season together. Despite this possibility, past seasons suggest it won’t go all too well for the New Zealanders.

The Warriors do boast an impressive forward pack, but their halves and backline don’t quite look strong enough to cause any problems in the competition.

13. Gold Coast Titans

With the strong forward pack that they have, the Titans could take on just about any opponent on their day.

The only issue is that ‘their day’ doesn’t usually come around too often. They have a history of being a side that rarely plays their best football, but when they do, they can win.

This inconsistency is what I think will hold them back, along with a lack of superstar talent in their backline, with the best pick being AJ Brimson.

Many of these backs are also inexperienced, including Toby Sexton and Jayden Campbell, who have only 44 NRL games between them. For these reasons they’ll finish in 13th, just as they did last season.

12. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

The Bulldogs have been improving steadily since the arrival of Phil Gould, and this continues into the 2023 season as they welcome Reed Mahoney and Viliame Kikau to the club.

Despite these signings, the Bulldogs are still in need of an established NRL halfback and fullback. However, this could be a very different situation by the end of the year if some of their players step up into the roles.

I certainly don’t see the Bulldogs finishing anywhere under 12th, but I struggle to place them any higher due to the strength of the other sides.

11. Canberra Raiders

After piecing together a strong run to the finals at the end of last season, the Raiders proved that they are still a top-quality side on their day.

While I can’t see them making the top eight over other teams in the league, their strong halves pairing of Jamal Fogarty and Jack Wighton and their impressive forward pack led by Joseph Tapine mean that they can definitely put some wins on the board this year.

They also have the statistically easiest draw in the competition, so I wouldn’t want to see them doing too much worse than an 11th-placed finish.

10. Manly Warringah Sea Eagles

In my eyes Manly are one of the top wildcard picks for the season. This is mainly because they have proved in the past that they depend almost entirely on Tom Trbojevic but also because they’ll be handing the five-eighth role over to young star Josh Schuster – not to mention the arrival of new coach Anthony Seibold.

Having seen the form that Latrell Mitchell found after his return from injury rehab in the USA, I believe anything could happen if Manly have a healthy Tommy Turbo in the No. 1 jersey.

Coach Seibold has had a mixed coaching career up to this stage, so it will be interesting to see how he approaches this job at Manly. With him at the helm, Tom Trbojevic returning, Josh Schuster taking over at five-eighth and Manly having the second-toughest draw in the competition, this season could go either way, so I’ll put them around the middle. Ttenth seems fair.

9. Brisbane Broncos

Having reached fourth spot during last season, the Broncos have proven that they are capable of playing a strong brand of football.

They also have some of the best forwards in the game, with Origin stars Payne Haas and Patrick Carrigan leading the charge for them. They boast the experience of Adam Reynolds and Kurt Capewell as well as the raw talent of Selwyn Cobbo, Herbie Farnworth and new recruit Reece Walsh.

Despite these positives, the Broncos have by far the hardest draw in the competition, and they are also lacking a solid hooker, a position that has been even more crucial with the increasing pace of the modern game.

They should come close to playing finals footy, but I’m not sure they’ll make the cut.

8. Wests Tigers

It’s been long enough, but I think this could be the year that the Tigers finally crack the top eight for the first time since 2011.

They’ve had the best offseason of any club in the league, picking up stars such as Apisai Koroisau, Isaiah Papali’i, John Bateman and David Klemmer.

Furthermore, reports are indicating that the playing group are loving their time with club legends Benji Marshall and Tim Sheens, so it seems as though the Tigers might have found a winning formula.

Overall, they have an impressive roster with strong forwards and some good backs. In particular, a strong season from Luke Brooks, Adam Doueihi and Daine Laurie could land Wests into September footy.

7. Parramatta Eels

Following the heartbreak of last year’s grand final loss, I can most definitely see the Eels coming back to the league playing the gritty brand of football that propelled them to the big dance.

With the established combination of Mitchell Moses, Dylan Brown and Clint Gutherson, not too much has to change for Parramatta. Their forwards remain strong and their back line still has some good strike power, including fan-favourite Maika Sivo. The club still has Brad Arthur as the head coach, so what we see from this year’s Eels could be much more of the same.

However, this could make them quite predictable, and the losses of Isaiah Papali’i and Reed Mahoney take a dimension out of their attack which proved pivotal in many big moments last season. This, coupled with Parramnatta’s tough draw, means they should still play finals, but I can’t see them making the top four.

6. Melbourne Storm

The Melbourne Storm will once again field a star-studded side for the 2023 NRL season. With arguably the best spine in the competition, they should comfortably make the top eight, as they so often do.

However, the one question mark over Melbourne’s season is a huge one, with Ryan Papenhuyzen out injured for at least two months at the start of the competition.

If Papenhuyzen continues to pick up injuries and is in and out of the side during the year, this could cause problems for a team trying to find continuity.

In saying this, the coaching staff at Melbourne are just about always able to make things work, so I’m sure they’ll be a force to be reckoned with once again.

5. South Sydney Rabbitohs

After he returned from injury rehab in the USA for Round 16 of last season, Latrell Mitchell brought South Sydney to life by playing some of the best rugby league of his career. I’m tipping him to bring that form into this season and make Souths a true contender for the premiership.

Souths have a roster brimming with talent and experience, creating the perfect environment for young halfback Lachlan Ilias to develop his game even further than he did last season.

Off the back of last year’s impressive finish to the season and deep finals run, South Sydney should come close to breaking into the top four.

4. Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks

After finishing in second place last season and maintaining almost the exact same squad led by Dally M medalist Nicho Hynes, the Sharks are looking set for another incredible season.

The club seems to be in phenomenal shape, with the exceptional coaching of Craig Fitzgibbon and a roster full of talent and depth.

Considering that they once again have an easier draw, I can see the Sharks finishing in the top four. The real question, however, is whether they can put together a better finals run.

3. North Queensland Cowboys

After shocking the NRL world with last year’s unforeseen successes, the Cowboys will be looking to take this season one step further and play in their first grand final since 2017.

Having maintained the same, strong roster from last season and included the services of 2015 premiership-winning hero James Tamou, the Cowboys can finish in third spot as they did last year.

Just like Cronulla, North Queensland have been fortunate enough to be given one of the easier draws in the competition, so stacking up the wins to finish in third spot shouldn’t be too much to ask of a side who have proved their worthiness of the top four.

2. Penrith Panthers

I’m not sure I need to justify having Penrith as high as second as much as I need to justify having them as low as second by their standards.

Twice in the last three seasons Penrith have finished on top of the table, but I’m tipping them to just miss out on the minor premiership this season.

Despite maintaining much of the same premiership-winning squad, the departure of Apisai Koroisau takes out a key dimension of their attack, which could prove the difference in the tight matches. Furthermore, plenty of their players will be called into State of Origin, leaving them exposed to drop competition points with their key men on the sidelines.

1. Sydney Roosters

Claiming the minor premiership will be the Sydney Roosters, with a squad full to the brim of both young and experienced superstars all across the park.

The acquisition of Brandon Smith is the last piece to the puzzle for an Easts side that only needed a good hooker to accompany the million-dollar backline and tough forward pack.

Many of these players have proven themselves in the past, with the likes of James Tedesco, Daniel Tupou, Luke Keary, Brandon Smith, Victor Radley and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves having won NRL premierships in their careers.

The main reason the Roosters can beat the Panthers to first place is that they maintain a strong side during the Origin period. While Penrith will likely lose the likes of Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, Isaah Yeo and Brian To’o, the Roosters will still have their international players. This will keep Joseph Manu, Brandon Smith and Victor Radley in the side, and it is likely that they’ll keep at least one of Sam Walker and Luke Keary.

Being a highly professional club that has found great success in the recent past, this Roosters outfit can potentially go all the way in 2023.