Every year, the focus of fans at the back-end of the season turns to the finals, the race to make them, and the battle for the premiership.

What is so easily forgotten unless you have sat through an entire winter of losing, are the clubs at the other end of the table.

Those who make up the bottom four, and the fight for the dreaded wooden spoon, which has now been won by the Wests Tigers during each of the last two seasons.

But there is a feeling that at least one of them, but potentially more, have the ability to turn things around, creating plenty of intriguing options with betiton nz bonus.

Here is how last year's bottom four can be expected to perform in 2024.

Wests Tigers

The Tigers have won the wooden spoon two years in a row, and it's difficult to see them making a dramatic turnaround, although, with a new board, a new coach, and more new players, some improvement should be in the pipleine for the battling joint-venture.

Benji Marshall, who takes over from Tim Sheens in the coaching chair, has made all the right noise for the Tigers as they head into the 2024 campaign.

Adding to that, the club have Aidan Sezer and Jayden Sullivan prepared to take over in the halves with young gun Latu Fainu waiting in the wings and Jarome Luai's arrival beyond that in 2025.

Improvements in the forwards, and the continued emergence of Jahream Bula, should have the Tigers in a position where they are able to steer clear of a third straight wooden spoon.

St George Illawarra Dragons

Another club with new coaching in 2024, the Dragons head into the season with Shane Flanagan at the helm after Anthony Griffin was sacked mid-2023.

The club have been widely tipped for the wooden spoon, although there will be internal hopes they are better than that, and a handful of performances during the second half of 2023 under Ryan Carr as interim coach will provide evidence of why the hope exists.

Consistency will be an issue, but the club are fitter and with an experienced coach at the helm, may yet be able to avoid picking up what would be a first wooden spoon.

Canterbury Bulldogs

Cameron Ciraldo's side come into 2024 with a big point to prove after an exceptionally disappointing 2023 season.

Despite a number of new signings, things simply didn't gel for the blue and white last season. The club will be better for a season under Ciraldo though as they head into 2024.

The biggest question for Canterbury will relate to how they fit their utilities in, with the club also needing to see more out of Matt Burton and Reed Mahoney.

Stephen Crichton's performances at fullback will also be under the microscope.

Gold Coast Titans

The Titans only fell into last year's bottom four on for and against, but there is little doubt it was a disappointing campaign for the club.

In what would be the last under Justin Holbrook, the Titans are one of three clubs under new coaching heading into 2024 out of last year's bottom four, with Des Hasler taking over.

With confirmed futures for David Fifita and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, a host of youngsters coming through the system and the return of Beau Fermor who missed the entire 2023 season, the future on the Gold Coast looks bright.

Plenty hingest on the fitness of Kieran Foran, but they look the most likely of last year's bottom four to be in the mix for a finals spot this time around.