The NRL season is finally here, with the Parramatta Eels and Melbourne Storm to kick things off on Thursday evening.
Over 200 games lay ahead of us as we determine whether the Penrith Panthers will go with a three-peat, and whether Nicho Hynes can back up his Dally M winning season of 2022.
But will either of those come to be?
We asked our team to tip plenty about the season ahead, and here is what they have to say.
Jack Blyth
Premiers: South Sydney Rabbitohs
Runners-up: Penrith Panthers
Wooden spoon: St George Illawarra Dragons
Dally M Medal: Matt Burton
Rookie of the year: Paul Alamoti
Top try-scorer: Alex Johnston
Top points-scorer: Valentine Holmes
Most improved team: Manly Sea Eagles
Most disappointing team: Wests Tigers
Ed Carmine
Premiers: Penrith Panthers
Runners-up: Cronulla Sharks
Wooden spoon: The Dolphins
Dally M Medal: Nicho Hynes
Rookie of the year: Isaiya Katoa
Top try-scorer: Alex Johnston
Top points-scorer: Nicho Hynes
Most improved team: New Zealand Warriors
Most disappointing team: Newcastle Knights
Matt Clements
Premiers: Parramatta Eels
Runners-up: Penrith Panthers
Wooden spoon: Newcastle Knights
Dally M Medal: Mitchell Moses
Rookie of the year: Isaiya Katoa
Top try-scorer: Alex Johnston
Top points-scorer: Valentine Holmes
Most improved team: Manly Sea Eagles
Most disappointing team: St George Illawarra Dragons
Mark Goodyear
Premiers: Cronulla Sharks
Runners up: Penrith Panthers
Wooden spoon: St George Illawarra Dragons
Dally M Medal: Nicho Hynes
Rookie of the year: Isaiya Katoa
Top try-scorer: Alex Johnston
Top points-scorer: Nicho Hynes
Most improved team: Wests Tigers
Most disappointing team: St George Illawarra Dragons
Cameron Grimes
Premiers: Parramatta Eels
Runners-Up: Penrith Panthers
Wooden spoon: The Dolphins
Dally M Medal: Cameron Munster
Rookie of the year: Viliami Fifita
Top try-scorer: Alex Johnston
Top points-corer: Valentine Holmes
Most improved team: New Zealand Warriors
Most Disappointing team: Brisbane Broncos
Mitch Keating
Premiers: Sydney Roosters
Runners-up: Melbourne Storm
Wooden spoon: The Dolphins
Dally M Medal: Harry Grant
Rookie of the year: Isaiya Katoa
Top try-scorer: Joseph Suaalii
Top points-scorer: Sam Walker
Most improved team: Wests Tigers
Most disappointing team: South Sydney Rabbitohs
Ethan Lee-Chalk
Premiers: Panthers
Runners-up: Wests Tigers
Wooden spoon: St George Illawarra Dragons
Dally M Medal: Nathan Cleary
Rookie of the year: Isaiya Katoa
Top try-scorer: Ronaldo Mulitalo
Top points-scorer: Valentine Holmes
Most improved team: Wests Tigers
Most disappointing team: St George Illawarra Dragons
Dan Nichols
Premiers: Penrith Panthers
Runners-up: South Sydney Rabbitohs
Wooden spoon: The Dolphins
Dally M Medal: Nathan Cleary
Rookie of the year: Paul Alamoti
Top try-scorer: Ronaldo Mulitalo
Top points-scorer: Valentine Holmes
Most improved team: Wests Tigers
Most disappointing team: St George Illawarra Dragons
Scott Pryde
Premiers: Sydney Roosters
Runners-up: Melbourne Storm
Wooden spoon: Newcastle Knights
Dally M Medal: James Tedesco
Rookie of the year: Paul Alamoti
Top try-scorer: Alex Johnston
Top points-scorer: Latrell Mitchell
Most improved team: Wests Tigers
Most disappointing team: Gold Coast Titans
Danielle Sorati
Premiers: Sydney Roosters
Runners-up: Cronulla Sharks
Wooden spoon: St George Illawarra Dragons
Dally M Medal: Nicho Hynes
Rookie of the year: Isaiya Katoa
Top try-scorer: Alex Johnston
Top points-scorer: Valentine Holmes
Most improved team: Canterbury Bulldogs
Most disappointing team: St George Illawarra Dragons
Alex Stuart
Premiers: Cronulla Sharks
Runners-up: Sydney Roosters
Wooden spoon: St George Illawarra Dragons
Dally M Medal: Nicho Hynes
Rookie of the year: Will Warrick
Top try-scorer: Ronaldo Mulitalo
Top points-scorer: Valentine Holmes
Most improved team: Wests Tigers
Most disappointing team: Canberra Raiders
A lot of guess work, naturally.
What would be really interesting (for me, at any rate) is for you to run this quiz again next week after the ZT staff have actually seen the teams in action. I suspect there may be some significant changes !
… oh yeah, and the one thing that does strike me is the absence of any love for the Cows, even though Val Holmes is tipped by six of the nine pundits to be the NRL’s top points scorer.