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Las Vegas, the Blues and off-field scandals: The Mole’s highs and lows of the 2024 NRL season

The year is almost over, and that means the 2025 NRL season is almost upon us.

2024 delivered plenty of action and news with rugby league going global having started the year in Las Vegas.

Wide World of Sports' The Mole has run his eye over the highs and lows from the season.

THE HIGHS

Billy Walters and Reece Walsh during Brisbane's match in Las Vegas. Getty

VEGAS BABY! It was lights, camera action for four memorable hours as rugby league and Sin City collided in spectacular fashion to kick off the season.

No – Americans won't suddenly ditch their beloved NFL for league, but the promotion was a spectacular success and kick-started a wonderful season.

BLUES DO IT THE HARD WAY

State of Origin needed a statement from the Blues – and one-year wonder coach Michael Maguire provided it.

After losing game one following the early send off of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, the Blues looked dead and buried – but rose off the carpet to take the series in fine style.

AN OUTSTANDING YEAR FOR ONE OF THE GAME'S BEST

While on the Blues, special mention to one of the feel-good stories of 2025 – Angus Crichton.

The Roosters star had issues on and off the field last year but was arguably the best forward in the competition and won the Brad Fittler Medal for most outstanding player in the NSW team.

FANS KEEP TURNING UP

For all its problems, rugby league remains the people's game and a marvellous on-field product – 2024 provided the highest aggregate and average regular season crowds in Australian rugby league history.

AIR PEREIRA

The grace and speed of Titans flyer Alofiana Khan-Pereira, who led the try-scoring chart despite his team failing to make the finals.

Las Vegas, the Blues and off-field scandals: The Mole's highs and lows of the 2024 NRL season

Alofiana Khan-Pereira. Getty

The pacy winger is destined to be a crowd pleaser for years to come.

THE ROOSTERS' TRY-SCORING FEATS

The Roosters were the Harlem Globetrotters of the regular season, scoring an amazing 738 points at an average of over 30 per game, playing some spectacular footy along the way.

But they came crashing down to earth in the finals with big losses to grand finalists Penrith and Melbourne.

THE DOGS ARE BACK

Long-suffering Bulldogs fans finally had something to cheer about as their team made the finals for the first time in nearly a decade.

Jumping from 15th in 2023 to sixth, the Bulldogs were without doubt the big improvers of the year, with marquee signing Stephen Crichton taking over the captaincy and doing a sensational job.

INTERNATIONAL FOOTY MAKES ITS MARK

How good was the atmosphere at the Pacific Championship final between Australia and Tonga?

Fans from the tiny island nation turned CommBank Stadium into a sea of red and sang in wonderful harmony in scenes rarely seen in Aussie rugby league.

And their team put up a brave showing against Mal Meninga's Kangaroos before eventually being beaten to the post.

'SURPRISE' THAT COULD COME FROM EXPANSION

The NRL's bold move to include Papua New Guinea into the 2028 competition may have been politically driven, but it brought joy to hundreds of thousands of Kumul fans.

The only country that calls rugby league its national sport may surprise a few people when it makes its long-awaited debut, too.

THE INCREDIBLE FOUR-PEAT

What can you say about the mighty Panthers?

Premiers for the fourth straight season – the longest glory run since the legendary St George team of the 1950s and '60s.

Rival clubs keep poaching many of the Panthers' best players, but Ivan Cleary finds a way to replace them and they are a big chance for a five-peat in 2025.

LOWS

The Ezra Mam incident has left a sour taste in the mouths of people around the country. Driving unlicensed and with drugs in his system, he crashed into an Uber, causing serious injuries to a young family… and was given a slap on the wrist fine by a Brisbane magistrate.

The NRL – in typical style – is dragging its heels and has yet to decide its punishment for the Broncos star.

LATRELL'S SCANDAL

The Latrell Mitchell white powder photo that went viral developed into a witch hunt as to who leaked the image on social media.

But the fact remains, Latrell – who does plenty of positive stuff for the game – was up to no good and yet again found himself in the papers for all the wrong reasons.

BRISBANE'S FALL FROM GRACE

The shock decline of the Broncos was one of the big stories of 2024.

After coming within moments of winning the premiership the previous year, the Broncos – chock full of star power – were abysmal in many games during the season and missed the finals, leading to the departure of coach Kevin Walters.

It will be a very different team in 2025 under tough nut Michael Maguire.

Remarkably despite their problems, the Broncos still topped the league in crowd numbers with an average of 40,000 per game.

CONSISTENCY NEEDED FROM OFFICIALS

The bunker continued to infuriate coaches players and most of all, the fans, throughout the season.

A move that was a try on Friday night was a 'no try' on Saturday afternoon… and so on.

All we ask for is a little consistency, but that seems way too hard for the blokes who press the red and green buttons.

MORE PATIENCE NEEDED FOR TIGERS FANS

You have to feel sorry for Tigers fans, who began the season full of hope for the start of a new era and finished with a third wooden spoon.

In-fighting and paying crazy money for players the club suddenly decided it didn't want only added to the circus.

Shane Richardson will sort it out – but it's gonna take time.

CAREERS END

The retirement of a host of top line players, including Aaron Woods, Jesse Bromwich, Shaun Johnson, Corey Oates, Dale Finucane, Brad Parker, Jake Granville and Tyrone Peachey – thanks for the memories.

SAD FAREWELLS

The game experienced much sadness throughout the year, with the passing of the likes of David Morrow, Rob Burrow, Ian Heads, Terry Hill, Darrell Bampton, John Gocher, Geoff Robinson, Ron Lynch, Bob Lanigan, Barry Vining and Shaun Wendt.

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