The full run-down ahead of the Illawarra Rugby League season-opener

The 2023 season was marked by Thirroul's from-the-clouds run to the title, breaking the Wests-Collegians duopoly over the previous two deciders.

The Butchers will be looking to defend the crown in a six-horse race that is again likely to see a finals series featuring four genuine title contenders.

With the IDRL officially launching its season on Friday night, it's time to run the rule over the six contenders, their hopes, the key men and what's driving them toward the silverware.

2023 finish: Premiers

The Butchers looked to have little more than a puncher's chance heading into last year's finals.

In the end they produced three knockout blows, the first to Wests, the second to De La Salle, and the final left hook delivered to the chin of Collegians in the big dance.

Get the start right.

Given they're perennial contenders, no Butchers title run is ever truly a fairy tale. The 2023 push went close, but it's not a formula to bank on every year.

It would be a recipe for trouble if the Butchers miss the jump again in 2024 with the belief they have a similar run in their back pocket.

Interestingly enough, with the departure of a host of stalwarts that had made the Butchers enter previous seasons as title favourites, the breakthrough came right when the title window appeared to have closed.

Now, withe the likes of Tarje Whitford, Ammon Cairney, Caleb Hocking and Jy Patterson among others, the Butchers could be sitting on a fresh dynasty.

Their rivals know it, and will be coming for them. They can't be slow out of the blocks defending a title.

"It's definitely a different challenge and one the club hasn't faced in a while, it was 2014 the [previous] time we won a comp," coach Jarrod Costello said.

"You look back to last year, and you don't want to get too caught up in that, but the guys that were unavailable that came back in late, Brem (Wayne Bremner) came back from injury, Monty Raper came back from being overseas, Jye Bowen came back from overseas.

"Those guys aren't there now, so we can't sit around and wait for those really high level players to come and save our season. We need to build a season from round one.

"It was how we started games that impacted how we started the season. We've spoken about that and at training we're starting sessions well, to start our games well, so that we can start our season well.

"We want to get off on the right foot and build into the season and build a year as opposed to scrapping through the year and having to pick up a few late to qualify.

"We want to build it from round one."

Wayne Bremner.

A Paul McGregor Medalist and one of the classiest outside backs in the competition for over a decade, Bremner called it a day on the back of last year's grand final victory.

While he ticked every box as a No. 1, his biggest strength was his physicality on kick return and out of his own end.

The Illawarra Mercury's Mitch Jennings talks with grand final man of the match Jarrod Boyle following the Butchers 2023 grand final win. Footage: BarTV Sports

Gerringong pair Nathan Ford and Rixon Russell repeatedly punched the ball into corners in the Inter-Club Challenge and the Butchers struggled to get out of the back-field.

The new back three will need to lift as a collective to fill that void this year.

Costello has certainly bolstered his forward stocks with the likes of Tyrell Fuimaono and Kristian Williams, but it's Toby Huxley who's set tongues wagging out Gibbo Park way.

The physically imposing back-rower promises to be a formidable force on the edge for the Butchers.

"(Thirroul local) Mick Potter had Toby at Mounties and he put us onto him the year before last," Costello said.

"He's best mates with (Butchers prop) Marcus Moore, so there's a connection there and we were able to get him across this year and we're really excited to have Toby.

"He's got a great attitude. He tore his calf at training, it was a pretty bad tear, and he hasn't missed a session. He's been there every session with a torn calf, boxing, doing whatever he can do.

"The games I've watched of him, he's a big body, he's a really hard-working honest sort of guy. He's a great person as well so he's someone bringing a lot of excitement for us."

Jarrod Boyle. Who else?

The league's premier big-game player for over a decade, Boyle was again the key man in last year's grand final victory - his fourth with a third club.

If the Butchers get within reach again - Boyle's at Winx-like odds to get them home.

2023 finish: runner-up

Collies, and the key men who've anchored three titles in in four years looked utterly stunned come fulltime last year's decider.

Defeat was a foreign feeling, and they were anything but poor in September.

Coach Peter Hooper said post-GF that "sometimes you just have to give credit to the opposition" and there was little else to add.

The same thing ... but different.

Yes, it sounds strange, but there's not a lot Collies need to change.

The Dogs absolutely nailed the entire campaign for all but the final 20 minutes of the grand final; their performance in the major semi was the most impressive of any team all year.

The key thing is they need to build the same house with completely different tools given Hooper's entire spine has departed, including Paul McGregor Medalist Callum Gromek.

Halves Zeik Foster and Max Devlin are also gone, as is hooker Jack Cross, leaving Hooper with a completely new play-making quartet.

One can reasonably expect the return of three-time premiership-winner Alec Reid to be seamless at fullback, but the rest will be a juggle for Hooper.

"There's no hangover as such, it's just about starting again," Hooper said.

"Yeah we did make the grand final and fell one short, but half that side's not here this year. We've had seven or eight turnover from last year's grand final side.

"We've acquired some pretty good footy players. It's just about putting all the pieces together the last couple of weeks before round one.

"It takes time to put teams together, so we're not expecting miracles come round one, but something we have been as a club is resilient and we play for 80 minutes.

"That's probably our club DNA, we get hard workers and guys who are competitive in every facet of the game and that's what we're looking for come round one.

"We've just got to get the mindset right."

Callum Gromek (among others)

Nicknamed 'Winx', Gromek was at the same odds as the mighty mare to claim last year's Paul McGregor Medal midway through the year.

Didn't have a weakness in his game and bagged two tries in the GF. Killed it on live TV for the Roosters in the preseason, with some feeling he could be James Tedesco's heir apparent.

The only question unanswered was - how did he possibly slip the Dragons net?

Damon New.

The crafty No. 7 has enjoyed huge success in the Macarthur competition with Thirlmere, including grand final victory in 2023.

Has shifted to Wollongong to try his hand, with the Dogs' prospects hinging on how he adjusts to a competition where there is simply no week to week let-up.

"He's had a lot of success up there so we're really looking forward to seeing how he fits into our systems," Hooper said.

"I watched him play at Thirlmere and he's been in grand finals the last couple of years so he's been around a winning team.

"He's a really level-headed kid, he trains really hard and is a good fella off the field so everyone's gravitated towards him.

"Him and Zeik have the exact same temperament as a footy player, they're cool and calm. You knew what you'd get with Zeik and how competitive he was and I think we've got the same sort of footballer in Damon.

"I'm really looking forward to see him put his stamp on this competition. You're going to see a handy footballer."

It would be easy to say New, but there's no more important player at Collies than prop Josh Dowel.

The competition hasn't seen a better front-rower over the last decade, and with long-time Dogs heart and soul Jarrod Thompson having retired, Dowel shapes as the heir apparent on that score.

Others may come up with the match-winning plays, but it's Dowel who puts his side within reach of them time and time again.

2023 finish: third

Have been such a great addition to Illawarra competition, and after securing last year's minor premiership, were title favourites in the eyes of many heading into the post-season.

The straight sets exit that followed would have put some added juice into those tough preseason sessions ahead of 2024.

Get it done at the right time.

De La were the pace-setters all year in 2023, but there's no sugar-coating the fact it fell apart come finals.

The Shire powerhouse was talent-stacked, but key combinations didn't stand up to finals pressure against sides like Collegians and Thirroul boasting multi-time premiership-winners in their ranks.

De La's unique spot as the middle cog in a pathways system meant players filtering back from Newtown sporadically saw multiple line-up changes throughout year.

They didn't miss a beat through the regular season, but the lack of continuity told when it mattered.

Managing that juggle will be the biggest challenge for new head coach Trent Anderson, who has succeeded former coach Luke Manahan after two years as his right-hand man.

"At the end of last year we did a post-season review and, although we were happy getting the minor premiership, we were quite disappointed going out the back door the way we did," Anderson said.

"We had a really good assessment of what we've achieved in the two years we've been in the [Illawarra] competition, but more importantly: how do we get to the next step?

"You look at Thirroul as an example, they went out the back door the year before. They certainly learned from that in the semis in terms of what it takes.

"We beat Collegians to win the minor premiership, but they were a completely different side when it came to semi-finals. We just want to build into the season and time our run."

None. Incredibly, De La have lost no key members of their 2023 squad, with Anderson saying the returning crew have unfinished business.

"One of the first things the club asked me when I came on board was [about] our exisiting players, and we've retained all of them," Anderson said.

"We've had a hundred per cent retention of all our players. Everyone you would've seen last year is still there this year and there's a bit of unfinished business, not just for the team and the club, but for individuals as well.

"There's some guys there pretty hungry to take that next step."

James Hasson.

Former NRL prop has returned to his junior club and promises to bring a new element to De La's attack in the middle of the park.

"We're a pathways club on the way up, but we certainly want to be a pathway for guys to come back," Anderson said.

"For guys who've gone on and played elsewhere or at higher levels, us being in this competition is a good way for them to come home and play a good high level of football.

"James Hasson's played first grade at Manly and Parramatta and finished up at the Rabbitohs. He's a local junior, a local product for us that started playing for the club at five years old so we're really excited to have him back."

Jacko Stewart.

A little bit mad? Sure, but the big-hearted lock is the spiritual leader and tone-setter among much bigger teammates and rivals.

Throws himself into every collision with vigour, be it the first or last minute. Capable of going the distance, but no absence is more noticeable than when he comes off for a spell.

Ties the defensive line together and, for a team that typically deals with weekly ins and outs, is the rock in the middle of the park and in the sheds.

2023 finish: fourth

Were the pace-setters early in the season but hit a four-game lull in the middle of the year that they never fully emerged from.

Were game in week one of the finals, but ultimately fell to Thirroul as Pete McLeod's side appeared to run out of juice over the latter half of the year.

Having featured in five of the last seven grand finals, finishing three weeks before the big dance is frankly unacceptable at Parrish Park.

McLeod has a frank answer to this question, the Devils need to "handle adversity better."

"We were undefeated for 10 rounds and then had a few injuries, and I know it was a horrific injury toll, but the players that were there should have dealt with it better," McLeod said.

"The loss to Dapto at Parrish Park shouldn't have happened. [A win] would have put us in a top two spot, and in a top two spot you can have an off day in the semis and it's not too bad.

"There was times in the season where we just didn't deal with the adversity and, whatever was going on, we just didn't deal with it very well.

"You look at Thirroul and, to their credit, they had a lot of adversity in their year and they stuck with it and they got a bit of joy at the back end of it. We weren't good enough to do that."

It's a frank take, but one that's a huge motivator at Parrish Park.

"We've got experienced players in our group, they're motivated to do well," McLeod said.

"A lot of them have not won a comp or won a comp a long time ago. They're not here just to make the semi finals, they're here to be the benchmark of the comp."

There's an asterisk on this one because halfback Justin Rodrigues will be there to start the season, but how the Devils go without the 'sugar man' at a crucial part of the season will go a long way to determining where the Devils finish.

With change the only constant in the Devils spine over the last several years, pure No. 7 Rodrigues has been mainstay of a perennially contending Devils outfit .

He's set to take a well-earned European sabbatical for six weeks at the mid-point of the season. He'll be back for the finals, but if he returns to a rescue mission it could prove a tough task.

"He's such a humble bloke he came to me and said 'I'm going to miss five weeks in the middle of the year, if you don't want to play me I'll sit it out'," McLeod said.

"I said 'I'm not doing that. This is your 10th season, I'm sure we can handle a month without you'. Some other boys will just need to step up a bit while he's away."

It would be easy to point to former NRL stars Tautau Moga and George Jennings, both of whom featured in the NRL as recently as last year, but this column is going for Dane Chisholm.

A running half who came through the system with Melbourne, the now 33-year-old enjoyed a stellar career in the UK, playing predominantly in Championship and League 1.

With Rodrigues to miss a large chunk of the regular season, Chisholm will be given the keys. How well he drives the Devils bus will determine what state they're are in come finals time.

"He has played NRL, he was in the Melbourne system but ended up overseas and he's played a lot of Championship," McLeod said.

"The majority of teams he played for were teams who were trying to go up. If you have a look through his record he's got two or three teams from Championship to Super League and a couple from Division 1 to Championship so he's played a heap of semi finals.

"He's a bit different J-Rod, he's a bit more of a running half, but you can just tell he's a 10-year halfback. He's played all around the world under heaps of different coaches and heaps of different systems so he'll add to us."

Dylan Lauri.

Unquestionably the Devils spiritual leader. Doesn't go unnoticed in victories but, of all the players in Wests camp, no absence is more conspicuous when he's not there.

While still a firebrand, those absences happen far less regularly these days with experience bringing a new measure to his play ... for the most part.

They Devils are truly a different side without him, while there's no better tone-setter in the competition

Seeing him making way out for warm-up, teams know they're in for a scarp - or they need to be in order to snatch a win from the Devils.

2023 finish: fifth

If the Butchers run to the title was a fairy tale, the Canaries late push at the finals was Disney movie stuff.

Blake Wallace's side gathered steam with wins over three of the top four sides only for the run to bottom out at Ziems Park in the penultimate round - Corrimal's only win of the year.

Start strongly.

It's a simple directive, but the Canaries left too many competition points on the board early in the year, leading at halftime on countless occasions only to be run down - and all too often run over.

While early wins will be the measure, Wallace says it speaks more pointedly to resilience.

"Obviously, you've got to start well but, in games I feel like we dropped off and we might have been a little bit underdone in terms of our fitness and our prep coming into the season [last year]," Wallace said.

"We've addressed that, the boys are fit, there's no questions there.

"I think it's just about having the mentality that it could take us 78 minutes to crack a team and overcoming that hurdle.

"We need that mentality instead of getting 50-60 minutes in, we're in the arm wrestle, and we shit the bed because we're not willing to work through that.

"We need to be disciplined enough to stick to what works when we're under the pump in that sort of situation.

"I think being disciplined enough to play our footy for 80 minutes, if we can do that we'll be just fine."

It's easy to say Sam Kasiaono given the former Bulldogs prop came and went from the Showground before a ball was kicked in the season proper, but Josh Vaartjes leaves a much bigger hole.

A Canaries product, one of the fittest in players in the comp in any position and an on and off-field leader, there's really no replacing the veteran bookend.

"We know what a guy like Choc can do and, to me, he's ben the best front-rower in our comp for a long time," Wallace said.

"To replace someone like that, it's going to be hard, but we've got Dapto juniors in the mix and I want to have these kids seeing a bit of a pathway from juniors into grade and then obviously into first grade.

"I think for me as a coach, it's just about sprinkling in the right player. I've been in side where we have had a strong contingent of ex-NRL players and it has upset juniors that have been going well because they've missed out on opportunities.

"It's just trying to find that balance as a coach and work with what I've got, but also be realistic in the sense that if we can add a Joey Leilua or an Aaron Gray, we get the most out of those young guys as well."

Not to look past the arrival of Joey Leilua, Monson Paewai is one from left field after wandering into Reed Park asking for a game during preseason.

Paewai came through the Sharks NYC system alongside the likes of Jamayne Isaako, Jayden Brailey and Will Kennedy, and now resides at Kanahooka.

Should he show the qualities that made him an NYC regular at the Sharks, he shapes as the ideal replacement for departed centre Brad Manton.

"He looks like he'll lock down the centre spot with Aaron [Gray]," Wallace said.

"He just rocked up at training out of nowhere and said 'I haven't played for a couple of years, I just thought I'd come down'.

"He played a bit of 20s back in the day and he's been on a mission through his church.

"He's living in Dapto and he just came down to training and introduced himself and said 'do you mind if I come train?'

"I looked at him, he's a pretty good build, and I thought 'let's see if there's a bit there'. There's definitely a bit there so I'm excited to see how he goes.

"It's pretty handy to have a guy like that pop up when you've got a centre spot available."

Pita Godinet

Be it at hooker or halfback, the 36-year-old is the link between Wallace in the coach's box and Canaries on the field.

Switching the Samoan International to halfback last season proved the spark for the Canaries run at the finals, with his composure and cool head steering his side to wins that had slipped through its fingers earlier in the season.

2023 finish: sixth

Another tough year for Corrimal, though the Cougars earned plenty of respect among rivals for their efforts on the park.

Had been thereabouts for 40 minutes at a time, but struggled to pull together an 80 until finally notching a win over Dapto in the penultimate round of the season.

The club's gone in another direction after two years under Drew Keys, with long-time Cougars man Sean Maloney re-taking the helm he last manned prior to COVID.

He'll have a fair right-hand man in former Origin halfback Jarrod Mullen, who's desire to get on the park for the Cougars last season was scuppered by a shoulder injury suffered in the club's final preseason trial.

That he's remained involved is a major boost for the Cougars in a rebuilding season, and there's sure to be plenty of keen eyes monitoring whether or not the 36-year-old rocks up with his boots.

For Maloney, the task is not too dissimilar to his previous stint as Cougars coach that saw him come in charged with rebuilding.

"We're going to be blooding quite a few young kids this season, so there's some exciting times ahead, but we are rebuilding again," Maloney said.

"We've lost a lot of players, but we've got a plan over the next two-three years incorporating our juniors coming through. We're in a situation where we have to blood those young guys to move forward.

"Last time when I took over I got thrown in the deep end and started really late, I think it was February, but that was the best coaching season I've had in a long time.

"We had a lot of young kids who really wanted to learn, the attitude was great, they were turning up in numbers. Yes, we weren't getting results but from a coaching perspective it was great.

"Then in the second year we could plan out what we needed to strengthen, we got some guys over from England, a couple from Sydney which put us in a good position the following year with all the young guys who had a year under their belt.

"We're going back to that strategy and plan this year. We're pretty strong in the juniors, a lot of our teams make finals and grand finals, so that's where we're focusing our effort.

"If we can add a few more players next year with these juniors, and a few more the year after that, it should start clicking for us.

Win early.

It's easier said than done, but breaking through for a victory early in the season could shape the Cougars entire campaign.

To do it, they'll need to be better in transition from attack to defence. 'Transition' is a new buzzword in rugby league borrowed from other sports, but it has relevance for the Cougars given how their season played out in 2023.

Speak to any of the heavyweights and they'll tell you they knew they were in a game against the young Cougars, but they struggled to turn pressure into points.

When they couldn't, they inevitably conceded points in a flurry at the other end. If Maloney's young outfit can get a handle on that, they could surprise a few teams.

Kristian Williams.

The West Aussie was consistently among the Cougars best last year, enough that he even attracted interest from the Dragons looking to bolster its NSW Cup depth.

In clubland, he's shifted up the road to Thirroul so, while most of the 2023 roster has departed, Williams shapes as the one who could really come back to bite the Cougars.

Tom Maloney.

Had a luckless run with injury but Maloney, adept anywhere in the spine, has been a key cog whenever the Cougars have been firing over the last half-decade.

Now older and more experienced, he can add plenty to the Cougars arsenal, particularly with the likes of Mullen close by for guidance.

Viliami Mahe.

The Mercury's Rookie of the Year last season, retaining local junior Mahe is a major coup for the club amid a host of other departures, and rival interest in his services.

"He was there last year, he's a Corrimal junior and I've managed to hold onto him," Maloney said.

"There were a few clubs onto him and he was on the verge of leaving, but we spoke to him and he's going to be there for us again.

"I'm really excited about that spine, with him and Thomas in there we'll be looking really good."