Success such as the Broncos' rise to the 2023 grand final often means letting go of several stars, with Herbie Farnworth, Thomas Flegler, Kurt Capewell and Keenan Palasia all heading out the door ahead of the start of the 2024 campaign. The Broncos signed Roosters forward Fletcher Baker in a bid to fill the void left by the Dolphins-bound Flegler but the club has placed a big focus on retaining the nucleus of their squad, with coach Kevin Walters pinning his faith on the next generation of talent with just two new signings for 2024. Capewell’s experience and leadership will be missed after his switch to the Warriors, with 21-year-old Brendan Piakura likely to get first shot at the vacant back-row position after stringing 13 games together last season. Young gun Xavier Willison will be eager to nail Titans-bound Palasia's spot on the bench. As for Farnworth, 25-year-old Jesse Arthars is likely to be challenged with the task of filling the star Englishman's shoes after extending his contract through to 2026 earlier in the year. Deine Mariner is also an option to shift to the centres with veteran winger Corey Oates extending his contract for 2024. Losing three star forwards and a Dally M Centre of the Year will certainly take some adjusting but with star fullback Reece Walsh locked in until the end of 2025 and grand final hat-trick hero Ezra Mam looking set to remain at Red Hill, the Broncos' top 17 stacks up alongside the best in the NRL. Predicted Round 1 team Reece Walsh Deine Mariner Jesse Arthars Kotoni Staggs Selwyn Cobbo Ezra Mam Adam Reynolds Payne Haas Billy Walters Fletcher Baker Brendan Piakura Jordan Riki Patrick Carrigan Cory Paix Kobe Hetherington Xavier Willison Corey Jensen Full Broncos squad and signings here. Key Changes Ins: Fletcher Baker (Roosters), Jaiyden Hunt (Dragons) Outs: Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins), Keenan Palasia (Titans), Tom Flegler (Dolphins), Kurt Capewell (Warriors), Logan Bayliss (unsigned) Health Watch No major injury concerns heading into 2024. Positional battle to watch As England star Herbie Farnworth begins his new chapter with the Dolphins, Jesse Arthars will be in the mix for the first shot at nailing down the vacant centre position. Arthars played just one game in the centres when Farnworth was rested in Round 27 but appeared 12 times in the position for the Warriors in 2022 before featuring also at centre for the Māori All Stars in February. Exciting rookie Deine Mariner looks set to ignite some healthy competition for the position after starring in four appearances on the wing last season. If handed first opportunity in the position, Arthars will need to be firing with Mariner expected to work hard to earn a spot on the side after his impressive performances for the Broncos last year.   Source: NRL.com