SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 19: Nicholas Hynes of the Sharks runs with the ball during the round two NRL match between the Cronulla Sharks and the Parramatta Eels at PointsBet Stadium, on March 19, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Christmas Day has come and gone and now we're on the countdown to my Christmas Day: kick off of Game 1, Round 1 2023.
We've seemingly, finally, settled on a salary cap number for 2023 and beyond, which answers one question heading into the new season.
Many questions remain. In fact each and every side across the competition has at least one major question hanging over their head.
Below we look at each club's burning question as they head into the 2023 season:
Can they be competitive?
This may sound like a cop out but nine out of every ten 2023 prediction has them in the bottom two. They sit, comfortably, as favourites to "win" the wooden spoon across every betting agency.
We've heard the stories about the players the Dolphins missed out on, but now it is all about focusing the players they did manage to land.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is a brilliant pickup, and in my opinion their marquee signing. Sean O'Sullivan and Jeremy Marshall-King both possess the talent to be something special.
Throw in a host of rep players such as the Bromwich brothers, Felise Kaufusi and Anthony Milford, and there's a handy side there.
That said, when compared to every side outside of perhaps the Warriors and Knights, they look a far way off. I worry if they start slow that it could be a long, inaugural season.
Is there enough support for Nicho Hynes?
The Sharks marquee signing for 2022, Nicho Hynes, managed to drag his side to a second placed finish whilst bagging the game's highest individual honour, the Dally M medal.
It was far from a case of a one-man side, however when the business end of the season was reached, the Sharks failed to provide enough support for their superstar number seven.
Matt Moylan had a far improved 2022 but was barely sighted come finals time. Will Kennedy had a terrible time of it upon his return to first Grade.
The Sharks failed to land that aggressive big bopper they obviously needed. Even the best halfbacks in the game struggle behind beaten packs.
Fans will hope young Kade Dykes develops at a similar pace to Jarome Luai or Sam Walker as I'm not sure the Sharks current strongest 17 lends enough attacking help to Hynes.
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Have they lost too much to create history?
Penrith enter the 2023 season as back-to-back Premiers. No side in NRL competition history has been able to win a third straight competition.
The Panthers shape as the side most likely to create modern day history, although if they're going to do it in '23 they'll have to do it sans two of their biggest stars.
Viliame Kikau was a cheat code at times in 2023. Apisai Koroisau was arguably the best big game player, at club level, last season.
Penrith enter their second straight title defence without these two megastars following their off-season moves.
That Panthers roster is still stacked but when you think of the amount of games their departing stars combined to win in 2022, they're going to have to find that from somewhere else.
Can lightning strike twice?
I don't think I'm talking out of place when I suggest the Cowboys overachieved in 2022. They surpassed even the most vocal of their fan's expectations.
Can they do it again? They've managed to hold onto almost all of their regular 17 moving into next season but they have lost the surprise element.
Opposition coaches will have dedicated hours to stopping the Cowboys stars of 2022, and perhaps more importantly their coach of the year winner, Todd Payton.
Chad Townsend outplayed literally everyone's expectations while Scott Drinkwater and Tom Dearden would now walk into a host of opposition 17s.
How can they possibly match their 2022 Preliminary Final efforts?
Has the title window closed?
Long suffering Eels fans won't want to hear it but the general feeling is the club's title window slammed shut at fulltime in the decider.
Reed Mahoney and Isaiah Papali'i are massive departures and with the greatest of respects to their incoming recruits, really haven't been replaced.
Astonishingly it looks as though the club will also allow Nathan Brown to walk away. Given they moved heaven and earth to re-sign him, I just can't explain the likely outcome.
Truthfully they've held onto their best three attacking players in Brown, Moses and Gutherson. That said I'm not sure Brown can match is 2022 heroics.
The side will be very, very competitive in 2023. I've got them in the discussion for the top four but sans their two departing stars, they don't look capable of ending their Title drought.
Who replaces exiting stalwarts?
For years now the majority of the Storm side has been a relative copy and paste from the previous season. That will not be the case in 2023.
Jesse and Kenny Bromwich have been mainstays for many seasons. As too has Felise Kaufusi.
The return of Christian Welch will help but Craig Bellamy will have to pull a rabbit out of his coaching hat to keep the Storm's brilliant recent record going.
We saw Melbourne struggle, for the first time in many years, with depth in 2022. They've lost three regulars that may be equally as difficult to replace.
I'm not one to doubt Craig Bellamy but the very valid question certainly is there.
Can they avoid a player raid?
I have no doubts in the world about the Roosters title credentials in 2023. I see them as the most likely to deny the Panthers a third straight title.
Their biggest challenge will come off the field as cashed up clubs come knocking for two certain superstars; Joseph Manu and Joseph Sua'ali'i.
We all know that contracts are easily broken in modern times and I'm not sure the Roosters can stop their star players heads from potentially being turned.
Big, big money and a chance for each to move into their preferred Fullback role may be too much for the Roosters to match.
It will be a distraction, at least within the fanbase. Every good performance from Sua'ali'i especially will be met with "what if he moves into the one jersey" stories.
Is making another preliminary final their limit?
As the fulltime siren sounded in the 2021 grand final, I thought the Bunnies had done their dash. I thought their title window was closed.
For long stretches in 2022 it looked as though that may be the case but come the business end of proceedings, the Bunnies were brilliant.
Unfortunately their title charge ended at yet another Preliminary Final. Their fifth Prelim in a row.
They failed to cash in for a title with only one Grand Final coming from those aforementioned five Prelims.
Is that Souths ceiling? Are they a top four side but not a title-winning side? Unfortunately it looks that way despite their incredible roster.
Has Ricky run out of ideas?
Without doing an injustice to the Raiders 2022 efforts, they only played Finals Footy due to an all time capitulation from the Broncos.
That Raiders side should not have been relying on the fall from grace from their northern neighbours. That roster is a rusted on top eight side every day of the week.
Ricky Stuart is a magnificent coach. That said, his press conferences have become increasingly must watch, and not for positive reasons.
I genuinely believe Stuart was consigned to missing the Finals, with his conference comments designed to distract.
They can't rely on another fall from grace from a rival this year. Can Ricky lift them back to their very best?
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What if Reynolds isn't 100% fit?
Brisbane's 2022 season can be broken into two parts: Rounds 1 through 19, and then the capitulation that was Round 20 onward.
They missed out on finals footy despite their prized recruit Adam Reynolds having a near career best season ... until injury hit.
Nothing about this Broncos side screams capable of overcoming the loss of their injury prone superstar number seven.
Truthfully you take the halfback out of any side and they're likely to to struggle but this Brisbane side desperately lacks a leader sans Reynolds.
I, and all rugby league fans, hope Reynolds can overcome his off-season injury status to lead the side but you have to imagine he'll miss games in 2023. Can Brisbane overcome this?
Can Turbo play a full season?
Tom Trbojevic is currently in the United States seeking treatment to help heal his troublesome hamstrings. That is drastic.
Manly fans were reduced to punch lines for large portions of 2022 as their club struggled on and off the field.
Given the unrest from the boardroom to the training paddock, the Sea Eagles need their megastar number one on the field.
Nothing heals wounds in Rugby League quite like winning football games. Unfortunately Manly have struggled to do that without Turbo on deck.
NSW fans will be just as keen to see Turbo's US trip prove to be a success. Whereas the Blues would like him, the Sea Eagles need him. There's an understatement!
Can they live up to expectations?
Two superstar recruits. The signing of one of the game's hottest young coaches. One of the game's genuine superstars approaching his career peak.
For the first time in many, many years, the Bulldogs are expected to play finals Footy in 2023. That is pressure they haven't felt in half a decade.
Burton is, rightfully, expected to be in Dally M discussions in '23 behind an all star pack. Kikau and Mahoney are two monster ins for the blue and whites.
All the talk of Cam Ciraldo is that he will oversee a season akin to Craig Fitzgibbon's season with the Sharks. Anything less simply won't do.
The club is an enviable, yet truthfully unfamiliar, position. It will be fun to see if they can live up to and deliver on expectations.
Is Foran the key to unlocking potential?
The Titans have a side more than capable of playing Finals Footy. Instead their 2022 season saw them relegated to a fight to avoid the Wooden Spoon.
David Fifita was reduced to meme fodder at times last year while Toby Sexton failed to live up to lofty expectations. AJ Brimson just couldn't find his best position.
Kieran Foran has been signed to right the ship. His arrival should see Brimson's move into the halves become a success and should see David Fifita return to his rampaging best.
That is the hope ... that is the expectation!
A bit of an ask for a 32 year-old who had his struggles in 2022. At his best Foran can be everything the Titans need and then some. Can he produce his best in unfamiliar settings though?
Will Ponga's return to the halves work?
The last time we saw Newcastle's prize asset done the number six jersey will be best remembered as a total and unmitigated disaster.
All the talk is the move will be repeated in 2023 after a horror season in the Hunter.
Truthfully Ponga was dire in 2022. He spent more time in the headlines for negative reasons than he did for his performances on field.
Well, he enters 2023 with a brand new, massive contract, the club captaincy and a new number on his back. Will all of that prove too much?
For Newcastle's sake, the gamble can't fail. They've handed him Jackson Hastings as a halves partner, which I believe is the key to finally unlocking Ponga in the halves.
Will their questionable recruitment pay off?
Full disclosure, outside of Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Luke Metcalf, I don't really understand, or dare I say like the Warriors 2023 recruitment.
Barnett and Ford make no sense, while Dylan Walker, unless extremely well priced, just doesn't add anything the Warriors don't already have in abundence.
Shaun Johnson returned to huge fanfare in 2022 and had his moments but it's questionable as to if he's even in the strongest 17 heading into 2023.
It's really sad that the likes of Walsh and Lodge bailed on the club upon their return across the Tasman, so I understand recruitment may have been difficult.
I love the Metcalf inclusion and CNK and Te Maire Martin will walk into the starting side, but I don't believe, overall, they've improved on their 2022 squad.
Where do the points come from?
Straight up, the Tigers forward pack in 2023 is frightening. It is brilliant!
John Bateman's recruitment should be confirmed very soon, possibly even before this is published. He will join incoming names such as Papali'i, Koroisau and Klemmer.
I just worry about where their points come from. Luke Brooks enters yet another season under a massive pressure while Daine Laurie struggled in 2022.
Charlie Staines, Ken Maumalo and David Nofoaluma have a mountain of tries to their names but Nofa's best footy came in purple, while Staines and Maumalo struggled to find consistency this season.
It is all well and good to have a monster forward back to roll their opposition but unless Brooks can finally deliver, points may be tough to come by.
Can they get their house in order?
I think it's fair to suggest that the Dragons are enduring a horror off-season.
Distractions about a possible name change were fleeting but the very real chance of losing their young gun number six is hard to stomach.
Ben Hunt ran a one-man ship for almost the entirety of 2022. Nothing I've seen from the Dragons off-season to date suggests it'll be any different in 2023.
Anthony Griffin has re-worked his coaching staff, which has been seen by many as simply shifting the blame.
The Dragons need early wins or they'll face the prospect of 2023 falling away very quickly. I think, at this stage, the Dragons will take the "no news is good news" line of thinking.