For nine of the 17 teams, the 2023 NRL season is about to be over.
And as we approach finals it's time to start reviewing how the year has unfolded.
Wide World of Sports' The Mole runs his rule over the best, and worst, player transfers of the season.
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2023 BEST BUYS
Reece Walsh – has transformed the Broncos from a team with potential to a definite premiership contender. Plenty of good fullbacks in the NRL, but he's been the pick of the bunch in 2023.
J'maine Hopgood – You can't keep them all, and Penrith didn't want to lose him, but the talented forward has been a great buy for the Eels, adding a touch of finesse to their pack and some big hits in defence.
Jeremy Marshall-King – when fit, as good as any hooker in the comp and was largely responsible for the Dolphins' great start to the season.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow – in just a few months has gone from a fringe first-grader at the Cowboys to a superstar at the Dolphins and one of the most popular players in the game. Speed and evasive skills make him a special talent.
Marata Niukore – the Warriors have lacked a real hard edge in their pack in recent years, and the former Eels forward has provided it in spades. A big reason behind the Warriors' spectacular run.
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Luke Metcalf – had to wait for his chance at the Warriors after moving from Cronulla but is now a real danger man in the team's attacking arsenal and has taken some pressure off veteran Shaun Johnson with his playmaking skills.
John Bateman – fans at Wigan were doing handstands when he left the club to join the Tigers – he's forced them to eat their words. In a difficult season for the club, he's been a shining light.
Api Koroisau – like Bateman, hasn't let the Tigers' lack of success get to him and has kept playing the wonderful attacking football that made him such a key man at Penrith in recent years.
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad – after an injury-plagued final year at Canberra, he's bounced back to his best at the Warriors and been a reliable last line of defence and super attacking weapon.
Eliesa Katoa – Craig Bellamy can pick them, and this tall, long-striding back-rower has gone from a kid with potential at the Warriors to a game breaker at the Storm. One to watch in the finals.
Greg Marzhew – picked up from the Titans in a player swap early in the season by the Knights, he's proven a handful in every game with his bullocking runs. Close to the line, he's been virtually unstoppable.
Reed Mahoney – It hasn't been easy going from grand finalists Parramatta to the Dogs, but Mahoney has handled the transition well and been among Canterbury's best every week.
Jamayne Isaako – a touch of Wayne Bennett magic has resurrected this winger's career and to be among the NRL's leading tryscorers and pointscorers in a team that won't play finals footy is a remarkable achievement.
Tom Gilbert – another player handpicked by Bennett and recruitment guru Peter O'Sullivan who has excelled at the Dolphins, proving himself a real forward leader.
Jackson Ford – could barely get a game at the Dragons – now he's among the first picked at the Warriors every week. Knows how to hit a hole and has the pace to convert half breaks into tries.
2023 WORST BUYS
Brandon Smith – six months ago I thought this guy would be THE buy of 2023, but a mixture of injuries, adapting to playing hooker full-time, moving to the Sydney fishbowl and the poor form of those around him has made it a real struggle. The good news? Since coming back from a broken thumb, his form has improved.
Josh Hodgson – signing a player coming off a knee reconstruction is always a risk, especially when you expect him to be your starting hooker. The transition to the Eels was hard for Hodgson… and then injury struck again.
Charlie Staines – a proven performer at Penrith, he was expected to be a big signing for the Tigers but it never happened and he battled to hold his place in a lowly team.
Oliver Gildart – the Dolphins got it right with most of their recruitment, but the Englishman's poor form with the Tigers should have given them a clue. He didn't see out the season and is back in the UK.
James Tamou – a classic case of a good player going one season too long. In his defence, Tamou was also signed for his presence and off-field experience to help the young Cowboys forwards, but as a player, he was a step behind the pace.
Ken Maumalo – The Titans took a punt on the tall Kiwi winger after he finished as the Tigers' top tryscorer last season. But injuries and age caught up with Maumalo and he failed to play a game for the club.
Anthony Milford – has been an enigma all his career but when the Dolphins missed out on many of their first-choice picks, they went for him. Dropped in the pre-season because of a poor attitude, he's played a handful of games but only shown glimpses of his best.
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