The NRL season is upon us, which means head coaches are back in the firing line ahead of what is sure to be another thrilling year.
Jason Demetriou and Brad Arthur are under immediate pressure to lift their powerhouse clubs from out of the doldrums, while the likes of Cameron Ciraldo, Ricky Stuart and Benji Marshall have some rebuilding to do while under the microscope.
The Sporting News provides a snapshot of the pressure every NRL head coach is currently under entering into the season.
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1. Jason Demetriou - South Sydney Rabbitohs
South Sydney sat alone at the top the ladder in Round 11 last year and then slipped into a horrific run which saw them miss out on finals altogether.
The Bunnies stormed through the first half of the campaign picking up wins over Penrith, Brisbane and Melbourne before a Latrell Mitchell injury and coaching mutiny saw them slide into a previously unimaginable abyss.
It was an unprecedented fall and has ensured the pressure will be on for Demetriou right from the start of the season to turn things around despite him being handed a recent contract extension.
The Rabbitohs have a star-studded roster full of international and Origin players, with Jack Wighton now added into the mix as well.
This means there will be no excuses for the coach to get things right, although his side faces a tough start to the year.
In Vegas, they will play the Sea Eagles in a historic opener before they return home to face the Broncos and Roosters.
Things don't really get much easier from there either with a home game against the Bulldogs followed by matches against the Warriors, Sharks, Storm and Panthers.
PRESSURE RATING: 8.5/10
2. Brad Arthur - Parramatta Eels
After guiding his side to the grand final in 2022, Parramatta and Arthur came crashing back down to earth as they failed to even qualify for the finals last season.
By the end of last year, the rumour mill had kicked into overdrive as potential candidates to take the reins were floated about in the media.
On the eve of the 2024 campaign, the Eels then came out to dismiss links to Wayne Bennett after it was reported he had been approached by the club to possibly take on an advisor role in the future.
"This is wrong and it's never been discussed," the club's CEO Jim Sarantinos told The Australian.
"We've no idea where it's come from. Brad is our coach, and he leads our football program."
Arthur is entering into his 11th full season at Parramatta and will no doubt be feeling the pressure.
The club's premiership drought stretches all the way back to 1986, so understandably fans are growing impatient with each passing season where they fail to lift the trophy.
The coach has built an imposing pack while Mitch Moses, Dylan Brown and Clint Gutherson pull the strings from behind.
Just like Demetriou, Arthur has the best tools at his disposal to ward off the early question marks around his reign and rack up wins to flip the narrative on its head, but can he do it?
PRESSURE RATING: 8/10
3. Todd Payten - North Queensland Cowboys
North Queensland have one of the most talented and exciting young rosters in the competition and will be desperate to bounce back after missing the finals last year.
It was a far cry from their excellent showing in 2022 when they came from nowhere to announce themselves as genuine premiership contenders.
Yet Todd Payten and his side hit a wall in 2023 as they were unable to replicate anywhere close to the same performance levels.
The Cowboys will be hoping the comforts of home will play to their advantage this season as they leave Queensland just three times across the first 12 rounds.
Afterall, a good start is vital to helping them rediscover their mojo after they lost six of their first 10 games last season and were never able to recover.
Payten has made the massive call of dropping Jason Taumalolo and Chad Townsend as his captains and installing Tom Dearden and Reuben Cotter instead.
The question will be whether the young chargers can revitalise the team and lead them forward or will their lack of experience when the going gets tough lead to more problems.
PRESSURE RATING: 7.5/10
4. Cameron Ciraldo - Canterbury Bulldogs
In his second season of a five-year deal, Ciraldo is already under mounting pressure.
The rookie coach was pursued heavily by a number of clubs before eventually signing with the Bulldogs, but it's fair to say things haven't gone to plan so far.
After the disappointment of last season, which saw record defeats plunge them into trouble, the Dogs have processed through a complete roster overhaul in the past two years.
Yet this will only make Ciraldo's job more difficult as he tries to bed in a host of new players into a lineup which has had very little success in recent seasons.
An opening round meeting against rivals Paramatta kicks off their year, before a tough run of fixtures against the Sharks, Titans, Rabbitohs, Roosters, Storm and Knights follow.
The Dogs won just two of their final eight matches in 2023, while they conceded 30 points or more in seven of those games.
Ciraldo will need a vast improvement in results and in defence, while trying to get a new team to gel in attack.
PRESSURE RATING: 7.5/10
5. Anthony Seibold - Manly Sea Eagles
Manly have quietly put together an impressive team heading into the season, and it is now Anthony Seibold's responsibility to get them firing.
The coach experienced a mixed time during his first year in charge after replacing Des Hasler, as the Sea Eagles' season faded away once again following an injury to Tom Trbojevic.
The star fullback is back on deck and with him comes a renewed hope for Seibold and co to make an impact.
Another season without finals footy may have the board questioning why they got rid of Hasler in the first place, if the new man in charge can't make a difference.
The Sea Eagles face a daunting start to the campaign with the Rabbitohs, Roosters, Eels and Panthers all to come within the first five rounds.
If they successfully weather this early storm, they could come home with a wet sail later on with fixtures against the Raiders, Warriors, Tigers, Bulldogs and Sharks to finish the regular season.
PRESSURE RATING: 7/10
6. Shane Flanagan - St George Illawarra Dragons
Shane Flanagan has sought to temper expectations, warning long-suffering Dragons fans that they may be in for another year of pain.
"There’s not too many players out there on the market who can slot in - it’s a tough market in recruitment," Flanagan said in February.
"Our focus is 2025. We’ve made some changes in 2024 and we’re still looking for some players, but our real focus will be for 2025 and 2026."
Essentially writing off the season before it has even started is not a good look, but Flanagan insisted the club was moving in the right direction despite failing to land any of their first-choice targets in the off-season.
Whether or not Flanagan is afforded that time remains to be seen with a club and fanbase that is growing more impatient by the day.
PRESSURE RATING: 6.5/10
7. Ricky Stuart - Canberra Raiders
Stuart faces a tough task in the nation's capital with a number of positions in the spine up for grabs.
It appears that he will go with veteran Jordan Rapana at fullback to start the year, while it may be a toss-up between Ethan Strange and Kaeo Weekes in the five-eighth slot beside Jamal Fogarty.
The Raiders made the finals last season but the top eight may be beyond them this time around despite having a powerful pack to rely on.
Canberra scored under 20 points 10 times last season - along with five games where they notched exactly 20 - as they often struggled in attack.
Meanwhile, in defence they conceded 20 or more points on 18 occasions.
These issues are unlikely to improve in 2024 following the departure of their talisman Wighton and a host of young talent to blood into the side as the club looks towards the future.
PRESSURE RATING: 6.5/10
8. Benji Marshall - Wests Tigers
The signing of Jarome Luai for 2025 has given Marshall some more wiggle room with the playmaker highlighting how his connection to the rookie coach played a huge factor in his Penrith exit.
The club powerbrokers entrusted the New Zealander to drag the Tigers out of their dire situation which has seen them scoop two successive wooden spoons. Yet that board is now gone after an unprecedented bloodletting.
Marshall will be given time to build up the club where he once starred, but the fans' adoration will only get him so far before he will need to start getting results.
A third successive wooden spoon is unthinkable. If that came to pass, Marshall would be facing severe pressure to be in charge of the rebuild at Concord.
Last year, the Tigers were behind the eight-ball from the very start as it took them until Round 9 to record their first win. They then went on to win one of their final 12 matches.
Under Marshall, these losing streaks simply can't happen as he attempts to finally reverse the fortunes of a downtrodden side.
PRESSURE RATING: 6/10
9. Craig Fitzgibbon - Cronulla Sharks
There is no doubt Cronulla play an attacking and highly entertaining style of footy under Craig Fitzgibbon. But whether that is enough to make them genuine contenders remains to be seen.
They have crashed out of the finals in two successive years after Fitzgibbon was expected to take the Sharks to the next level following the axing of John Morris.
"It is (crunch time for us) and I think everyone knows that," Nicho Hynes admitted on the eve of the new season.
The Sharks have a relatively straight forward draw to start the year with matches against the Bulldogs, Tigers and Raiders inside the first five rounds.
However, fast starts have never really been the issue under Fitzgibbon. Instead, it has been their inability to perform on the biggest stages at the business end of the season.
"I feel like the penny has dropped for a lot of us and we’re not going to be there to just make finals," Hynes continued.
"We want to go further, and hopefully we can do that this year."
PRESSURE RATING: 5.5/10
10. Trent Robinson - Sydney Roosters
Trent Robinson never really seems like he is under pressure to remain in the hot seat at the Roosters and given his premiership successes and long-term contract, it is easy to see why.
However, the Chooks have underperformed in the past two seasons and club powerbrokers will be looking for an improvement this year.
They have waded into the player market, picking up one of the best wingers in the comp in English international Dom Young, while they also recruited firebrand Spencer Leniu.
With a star-studded roster filled with a mix of wily, proven veterans and some of the most exciting young talent in the league, Robinson will be expected to lead them to a top four finish this season.
To do that, the Bondi club must be better and more consistent than in 2023 where they recorded just seven wins from their first 20 games, before rattling off six victories in their final seven to sneak into the finals.
PRESSURE RATING: 5.5/10
11. Adam O'Brien - Newcastle Knights
Adam O'Brien only half-jokingly admitted he was having a scan over job advertisements in case he was punted from the Knights midway through last season.
What a difference 10 wins make with Kalyn Ponga returning to the fold and helping to fire his side into fifth spot on the ladder after they were previously languishing in the bottom four.
The wave of optimism that swept through the Hunter has seen the coach rewarded with a new deal which, if he completes it, will make him the longest-serving head coach in the club's history.
Yet despite the goodwill around the Knights, the NRL is still a results-based business and O'Brien will have to get his side humming and into the finals once again to ward off any questions on his future.
PRESSURE RATING: 5/10
12. Des Hasler - Gold Coast Titans
After ruthlessly axing Justin Holbrook halfway through last season in order to bring in Hasler, the veteran coach knows he has time to build on the Gold Coast.
The Titans have an inexperienced roster stacked full of talent, which the club hierarchy have decided the old-school style of Hasler can get the best out of.
And the former Manly premiership-winning coach hasn't been shy about stating his belief in the side's chances of winning a title during his tenure.
His first year in charge will be with the aim to try and reach the top eight, then the season after that, the pressure will really ramp up on Hasler to deliver on the Glitter Strip.
PRESSURE RATING: 4/10
13. Kevin Walters - Brisbane Broncos
The Broncos were an excitement machine in 2023 as their attack, highlighted by the electric Reece Walsh, made them arguably the best team to watch as they rolled their way to 18 regular season wins.
They maintained this gung-ho approach right the way through to the grand final, where they fell agonisingly short of ending the Panthers' dynasty.
However, it crumbled in the most heartbreaking circumstances and Kevin Walters will now be expected to pick his young side up off the canvas and get them to go one better.
Equipped with a new two-year deal in his back pocket following their improvement from finishing outside the eight to premiership contenders, Walters will be expected to now deliver Brisbane their first title since 2006.
PRESSURE RATING: 3.5/10
14. Andrew Webster - New Zealand Warriors
The feel-good story of 2023 couldn't possibly turn into a nightmare, could it? At the Warriors, anything is possible, yet it seems highly unlikely that Andrew Webster will come under any serious form of pressure this year.
The rookie coach got the Warriors to within a whisker of reaching the grand final after waking them from their slumber with a hard-working brand of footy which instantly connected with their fans.
The Dally M Coach of the Year now also has former Dally M Medallist Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to call upon as the Warriors attempt to prove last year wasn't just a flash in the pan.
PRESSURE RATING: 2/10
15. Wayne Bennett - Dolphins
The succession plan at the Dolphins has already been put in place with Kristian Woolf to take over from Bennett after his second and final season in charge of the new franchise.
The Dolphins defied all doom-laden predictions last season and appeared to be in with a genuine shot of making the finals, until their season crumbled as the grind of the NRL wore down their thin squad.
With some gun recruits now on hand in Herbie Farnworth and Tom Flegler, the expectations have risen.
Barring a catastrophic start to the year, which may force the club into following the path of the Tigers and kickstarting their succession plan early, Bennett will be there at the end of the season and could feasibly be leading the Dolphins into their first ever finals campaign.
PRESSURE RATING: 1.5/10
16. Craig Bellamy - Melbourne Storm
Craig Bellamy's time in Melbourne is drawing to a close.
After generating headlines last season as he tossed up whether to ink an extension, the veteran coach finally re-signed with the Storm.
However, Jason Ryles spurned the Dragons in order to become Bellamy's assistant and, eventually, successor.
Melbourne struggled last season yet still finished in third spot and made it to a preliminary final.
With a spine that is among the best in the comp, when they're actually all out on the field with each other, Bellamy will be going for a fairytale finish.
PRESSURE RATING: 1/10
17. Ivan Cleary - Penrith Panthers
Gunning for an incredible fourth-straight premiership. There is arguably no person safer in their job anywhere in Australia than Ivan Cleary is at the Panthers.
PRESSURE RATING: 0/10
