While most pre-season focus will be on which teams are in the mix to take out the NRL premiership in 2024, it's equally as important for those clubs in the mix at the bottom of the table to avoid their pre-season expectations.

2024 could well finally bring some changes at the bottom of the table too.

For the last two years, it has been all the Wests Tigers in the bottom spot on the NRL ladder, but a new coach, new players and new atmosphere have high hopes for big changes at the Concord-based joint-venture.

It would appear unlikely they will rise right up the table though and could still be in the mix, but for the first time in many years, it feels as if the Tigers are not the outright favourites, with punters using william hill free bets to steer elsewhere.

Here are the contenders to wind up at the bottom of the ladder.

Wests Tigers

Despite the Tigers looking as if they will improve heading into the 2024 season, that doesn't mean they are out of the woods when the discussion is had around the wooden spoon.

The issue for the Tigers is they have all but forgotten how to win in recent seasons.

They have enough players who should be able to turn that around, but it's a long-running trend of the Tigers to underperform.

It's safe to say Benji Marshall has plenty of pressure hanging over his head as the new campaign gets underway, but so do the senior players, including Apisai Koroisau who didn't have the best start to his time at the club last year.

St George Illawarra Dragons

The Dragons come into the 2024 campaign under new management, with Shane Flanagan returning to a head coaching chair for the first time in a number of years.

Unfortunately for fans of the famous old Red V, he doesn't have an influx of new cattle in the playing group to help him out.

The Dragons were abysmal last year, and while Anthony Griffin had to go, there is plenty that suggests this won't be a quick, painless rebuild back to the top of the competition.

The club are the widely held favourites to take out the spoon this year, and it's not hard to see why.

Canterbury Bulldogs

Similar to the Tigers, there is a breath of fresh air around the Belmore-based Bulldogs this year, but it doesn't mean it'll come with a sudden and dramatic turnaround in results.

That really can be traced back to the start of last year. New recruits, new coach. Same old result though as Canterbury finished in the bottom four.

Most expect them to clear that hurdle this year, but they haven't recruited well in their forward pack, and where they have done well, they may have too many chefs in the kitchen with utilities as far as the eye can see.

Canberra Raiders

The Raiders are a real smokey in this race to the bottom, but there are also plenty of valid reasons why the green machine could fall this far after playing finals football last year.

Ricky Stuart's side snuck into the finals. There is little to no doubt about that.

Instead of looking like they belonged at the pointy end of affairs, the Raiders won most games by narrow margins, lost others badly and never looked overly convincing.

With Jack Wighton departing and big questions hanging over other parts of the side, it wouldn't surprise to see them in the mix in a race to the bottom.