Every NRL season, clubs make numerous signings and in every single season, the fans of those same clubs are filled with hope and excitement, convinced their team has made the moves that will rocket launch them into contending for a premiership.
Sometimes they have, but a lot of the time, they haven't.
Whether it be due to injuries, poor form or falling out with the coach, the aforementioned hope and excitement quickly fizzles out, slowly transitioning fans into a waiting period for the following year's signings to be announced, so they can just repeat the same cycle.
Now this is certainly a topic up for debate, how much of a let-down one signing has been compared to another will differ based on who you're talking to.
If you're talking to me, though, these are the six most disappointing signings of the 2025 NRL season.
6. Mikaele Ravalawa
The last two seasons have truly been a fall from grace for the Fijian winger.
Ravalawa scored 21 tries in as many games for a Dragons side that narrowly avoided the wooden spoon in 2023.
However, with Shane Flanagan's arrival the following year, Ravalawa has since been exiled from the side for his shocking defence, so much so that he was sent out on loan to the South Sydney Rabbitohs for the 2025 season.
Yet, even a change of scenery hasn't helped the try-scoring freak, who has only featured three times for the Rabbitohs this season.
In those three games, Ravalawa has actually missed more tackles than he has made, which pretty much sums up why he was exiled from the Dragons in the first place.
Not to mention, a defensive howler against the Cronulla Sharks in Round 3, where Ravalawa retreated beyond his own try line, watching Braydon Trindall score in the corner untouched.
It should be noted that, in Ravalawa's weak defence (no pun intended), the winger has been battling a hamstring injury, which has kept him out for most of the season.
But when called upon, he has seemingly gone missing, meaning his place on this list cannot be contested.
Royce Hunt – to Wests from Cronulla – has been a disappointment.
By no means on the scale of the others listed, but a disappointment nevertheless.
I expected him to be a starting prop, but he’s almost always started on the bench. His offload has disappeared; his tackle breaks and tackle numbers are down, as are his post-contact metres.
Ravalawa used to be a monster in defence, bashing blokes to next Sunday. But after a few suspensions for using too much shoulder in those big hits he has become a shadow of his former self and has lost all confidence.