2023 was a year of big changes right across the NRL.
From a new team, to the improvement of the Warriors and Knights, to other teams like the Rabbitohs, Eels and Cowboys being on a slippery slope to the bottom, there was plenty to keep track of week to week.
A season like that is always going to bring contrasting ideals for a number of players, and there were some who made major leaps forward on their careers.
For some, it has already new contracts signed, while for others, potential has been fulfilled. For one, you could argue it was a career-saving season.
Here are the ten most improved players from the 2023 NRL season.
1. Corey Horsburgh (Canberra Raiders)
To me, no player improved more than Corey Horsburgh in the 2023 campaign. I saw it coming too.
Horsburgh played 2022 and previous seasons with excellent aggression, but hadn't quite channelled that into the best version of himself. Nor had he become consistent with big minutes or locked into a role at the Raiders.
With Adam Elliott - who did a superb job in 2022 at lock - leaving for the Newcastle Knights, the green machine's 13 jersey was there for the taking in 2023 for Horsburgh.
He was kept out of it during the opening weeks, but improved and impressed off the bench before being thrown into the starting side, where he spent the rest of the season putting out big production and big minutes for Ricky Stuart.
He was sniffing around the Origin squad by the time it rolled around and then made his debut in Game 3, before going back to the Raiders and continuing to improve over the remainder of the campaign.
There is little doubt that he will join Joseph Tapine as Canberra's most important forwards heading into 2024.
