Sky Sports' Jon Wells gives us his verdict on the players who are the top five new signings ahead of the 2024 Super League season: watch every match of the new Super League season, including Magic Weekend, the play-offs and Grand Final, live on Sky Sports
Friday 22 December 2023 18:52, UK
Sky Sports rugby league expert and former Super League player Jon Wells picks his top five signings ahead of the 2024 season, where you can watch every match live on Sky Sports…
A relative unknown prior to the 2023 season, Keighran had previously plied his trade primarily for the Sydney Roosters and his breakout year in the NRL came in 2021.
But what a debut Super League season he had in the south of France, playing 25 games for the Dragons and finishing third on the Super League points chart with 194, from 73 goals and 12 tries.
But there's a creative side to his play too, providing 10 try assists in the 2023 campaign, behind only fellow Catalans playmakers Tyrone May, Mitchell Pearce and Sam Tomkins, and mainly for the benefit of Tom Johnstone. Another prolific try-scoring winger in Liam Marshall will be taking those passes next season.
The centre is skilful, durable, and uncomplicated - seemingly a perfect fit for the Warriors, who needed to plug a Toby King-shaped hole following his departure after the Warriors' Grand Final victory.
They have also recruited a top-class placekicker. Harry Smith ended the season with a flourish from the tee, but 2023 was not without serious wobbles, and a season success rate of 65 per cent from the tee needs work.
By comparison, Keighran finished up at 78.5 per cent, so Warriors fans can safely assume that tries will be converted more often than not in 2024.
Given the top three places in the 2023 table were decided on points difference alone, this is not an insignificant attribute to have bolted on to an already top-line player.
A marquee signing for Wigan and a man with perhaps a point to prove following a long spell out of the game through injury. At his best, he will lead the Warriors pack and his signing offsets the loss of Morgan Smithies, though Thompson's style of play signals a more destructive, route-one approach for 2024.
He plays tough and next season will see a rejuvenated player - thanks in part to Shaun Wane's ability to resist the temptation to select him for the Autumn Test Series against Tonga. Wane's willpower could pay huge dividends for both Thompson and the Warriors next season.
More generally, recruitment has been a real strength of the Wigan Warriors in recent years. Jai Field and Bevan French have arguably been two of the best overseas imports to Super League in the last decade, and they have added astutely from elsewhere in Super League too with Tyler Dupree and Sam Walters joining midway through 2023 and in the off-season respectively.
Make no mistake here, this is a fearsome Wigan pack - in my opinion, stronger than last year - which boasts an enviable mix of power (Patrick Mago, Dupree), sheer size (Liam Byrne, Sam Walters), youth (Ethan Havard, Junior Nsemba), experience (Willie Isa, Mike Cooper), aggression (all of the above but especially Tiaki Chan) and guile (Liam Farrell).
I think this makes them favourites to retain their crown, and prop Thompson's addition could be hugely significant in their drive to Old Trafford again in 2024.
I feel for Salford here, but business is business, I guess, and the Red Devils considerable loss is Rhinos' gain.
One of the best players in Super League in the last two seasons and Man of Steel in 2022, the question is can Croft provide the spark to ignite a new-look Leeds outfit which - for a club of their size, support base, legacy and financial clout - have really under-performed for a number of years now?
Croft is one of the better running halves in the game, and his partnership with Matt Frawley is going to be very interesting to watch develop over the early rounds of the season.
There will also be a change in attacking style, I feel; out goes half-cum-full-back Richie Myler (along with his attacking passing game) and in comes Lachlan Miller, lightning quick but definitely more of a running No 1.
Leeds head coach Rohan Smith will be tinkering with that attacking set-up and shape to maximise the assets he has, so expect teething problems in the early rounds as a brand-new spine beds in.
However, there is strike right across this Rhinos team and the summary is this: if they get it right, they will be a real force in 2024, and if they get it right expect Croft to be at the forefront of any subsequent title charge.
Arguably the biggest name signing in the 2023 off-season, Matt Moylan has been there and done that. A State of Origin player for New South Wales and an Australian international drops in to fill a position in the halves the Leopards needed to strengthen.
What struck me watching all the transfer comings and goings since the lights went out at Old Trafford is the specificity of the business the Leopards have done.
That should tell you three things: 1) Head coach Adrian Lam does not feel the need to make wholesale changes to his first-choice 17, he is comfortable with the core of the squad that has been assembled over the last 18 months and the way in which they have performed.
2) That the targeted recruitment and upgrade in one position in that probable starting 17 could well unlock another level of performance from his team-mates. Moylan's presence will certainly afford Lachlan Lam more space and time on the ball, as something opposing teams got wise to in the latter rounds of the 2023 season was stop Lam, stop Leigh.
3) That the coaching staff realise that they cannot roll the dice year on year. They had the smallest squad in terms of numbers going into last season, and while they obviously managed training loads effectively throughout, there was inevitably an element of luck in being able to keep the core of the team on the field week in, week out.
The seven other signings they have made are unlikely going to displace any of last year's 17, but elite level team sport is a squad game, and this is an effort to bulk out that squad.
Back to Matt Moylan, then. The question he will have to answer is: After injury and absence plaguing his last couple of seasons in the NRL, can he re-discover the form that put him in a Green and Gold jersey, only this time wearing leopard-print? If he can, then it benefits Lam, John Asiata, and that entire back-line, and gives the rest of Super League a real headache.
An early Christmas present for everyone in WA9. Jack Welsby is the talent in Super League and poster boy for all that is good in our game.
He is a skilful, tough, instinctive full-back who has already won three Grand Finals, a Challenge Cup and a World Club Challenge, plus captained his country at the age of 22. Understandably, this body of work had garnered serious interest from the NRL, with a number of clubs purportedly interested in his signature following those most recent outstanding performances in the Test series against Tonga at the end of 2023.
That St Helens have managed to tie him to the Red Vee - and, as importantly, to Super League - for the next five years is a real coup for Saints in particular and the domestic game in general.
It was his 28th first team appearance that certainly brought him wider sporting attention, grounding the ball after the final hooter to win the 2020 Grand Final - the most dramatic finish in Grand Final history. Though there were no fans in the ground in that Covid year the clip and the image forced Welsby into the wider sporting consciousness, and there he has stayed.
His performances following that familiar arc of the very best players - start well and keep on improving year on year. Super League needs super stars, and Welsby heads up the leading lights of people that hold a wider appeal than just to those who support the team they play for.
With the retirement of Sam Tomkins and James Roby - two of the sport's most recognisable players - at the end of 2023, Welsby's retention for St Helens and staying in Super League gives the sport a new focal point.
Watch every match of the 2024 Super League season, including Magic Weekend, the play-offs, and men's, women's and wheelchair Grand Finals, plus the World Club Challenge, live on Sky Sports. Also stream with NOW.
