NRL clubs have been busy during this shortened off season, trying to build the perfect teams to tackle the 2021 season.
With Christmas exactly one week away, we take a look at the players they have lost and gained and speculate on what they might be hoping Santa brings down the chimney for them.
Brisbane Broncos
New signings: Dale Copley (Titans), Andrew McCullough (returns from Knights)
Departures: David Fifita (Titans), Sean O'Sullivan (Warriors), Jack Bird (Dragons), Joe Ofahengaue (Tigers), John Asiata (Cowboys), Darius Boyd (retired), Matt Gillett (retired)
Christmas wish: The Broncos received their Christmas wish early when Kevin Walters signed on as coach. Walters has the job of turning the once-great club around. He needs to weed out the players who don't want to give their all for the club and inspire those who do. All the Broncos need from Santa is a big bag of club pride, as they look to bounce back from their first ever wooden spoon.
Canberra Raiders
New signings: Harry Rushton (Wigan), Ryan James (Titans), Caleb Aekins (Panthers), Albert Hopoate (Sea Eagles).
Departures: John Bateman (Wigan), Nick Cotric (Bulldogs), Michael Oldfield (Eels)
Christmas wish: Ricky Stuart would have an injury-free season for key players at the top of his wish list for Santa this year. Josh Hodgson's season ending knee injury last year really put the skids on a successful Raiders campaign. Stuart proved in 2019 that he has all the pieces in place, he just needs them out on the paddock for the full year.
Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs
New signings: Nick Cotric (Raiders), Corey Waddell (Sea Eagles), Jack Hetherington (Panthers), Kyle Flanagan (Roosters) - 2022 - Matt Burton (Panthers), Josh Addo-Carr (Storm)
Departures: Kieran Foran (Sea Eagles), Marcelo Montoya (Warriors), Aiden Tolman (Sharks), Sauaso Sue (Knights), Jack Cogger (Huddersfield), Kerrod Holland (retired)
Christmas wish: Early releases for Matthew Burton (Panthers) and Josh Addo-Carr (Storm) would be nice. The club's recruitment under new coach Trent Barrett is coming along nicely, but the Bulldogs are still short a quality dummy-half and 2021 seems like a holding pattern year with Burton and Addo-Carr set to arrive in 2022.
Cronulla Sutherland Sharks
New signings: Aiden Tolman (Bulldogs), Luke Metcalf (Sea Eagles)
Departures: Cameron King (retired), Jayson Bukuya (retired)
Christmas wish: The Sharks never really recovered last season from the shock of Bronson Xerri's drug ban. The season ending injury to Shaun Johnson certainly didn't help either. If they should ask Santa for anything it would be a star centre and some injury-free backline stability.
Gold Coast Titans
New signings: Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (Storm), Herman Ese'ese (Knights), David Fifita (Broncos), Patrick Herbert (Warriors), Sam McIntyre (Tigers)
Departures: Jai Arrow (Rabbitohs), Ryan James (Raiders), Young Tonumaipea (rugby union), Bryce Cartwright (Eels), Keegan Hipgrave (Eels), Dale Copley (Broncos), Shannon Boyd (retired), Nathan Peats (rleased), Tyrone Roberts (released)
Christmas wish: The Titans have put the cleaners through their roster following a promising finish to the 2020 season. Coach Justin Holbrook will be asking Santa for a consistent season from halfback Ash Taylor and for immediate impact from his big forward pack signings David Fifita and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui.
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
New signings: Andrew Davey (Parramatta), Kieran Foran (Bulldogs), Christian Tuipulotu (Roosters), Jason Saab (Dragons), Josh Aloiai (Wests Tigers)
Departures: Joel Thompson (St Helens), Corey Waddell (Bulldogs), Addin Fonua-Blake (Warriors), Albert Hopoate (Raiders), Luke Metcalf (Sharks), Jade Anderson (released)
Christmas wish: Coach Des Hasler will be asking Santa for a fully fit Kieran Foran to pick up his partnership with Daly Cherry-Evans at the 2011 premiership-winning level. Des might also ask Santa for a full season out of super-star fullback Tom Trbojevic. Not much to ask really.
Melbourne Storm
New signings: George Jennings (Eels), Reimis Smith (Bulldogs), Harry Grant (returns from Tigers loan)
Departures: Suliasi Vunivalu (rugby union), Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (Titans), Paul Momirovski (Returns to Tigers after loan), Albert Vete (Hull KR)
Christmas wish: Would an announcement on Cameron Smith's future be too much to ask from Santa? I'm sure Craig Bellamy knows what Smith is doing, as he makes plans to slot Harry Grant straight into the No.9 jersey, while Brandon Smith looks for alternate accommodation. The Premiers have lost a couple of stars in Vunivalu and Fa'asuamaleaui, but wise men never doubt the forward planning of Bellamy.
Newcastle Knights
New signings: Bailey Hodgson (Castleford), Dominic Young (Huddersfield), Tyson Frizell (Dragons), Sauaso Sue (Bulldogs), Jack Johns (Rabbitohs) - 2022 - Jake Clifford (Cowboys)
Departures: Herman Ese'ese (Titans), Andrew McCullough (Broncos), Sione Mata'utia (St Helens), Mason Lino (Wakefield Trinity), Tautau Moga (Rabbitohs), Aidan Guerra (retired), Tim Glasby (retired)
Christmas wish: Coach Adam O'Brien will welcome forward leader Tyson Frizell to the Hunter, his experience and big game performance is just what the Knights need. O'Brien might just ask Santa to lift last year's No.9 curse from the team.
New Zealand Warriors
New signings: Ben Murdoch-Masila (Warrington), Kane Evans (Eels), Euan Aitken (Dragons), Addin Fonua-Blake (Manly), Iliesa Ratuva (rugby union), Sean O'Sullivan (Broncos), Marcelo Montoya (Bulldogs), Bayley Sironen (Rabbitohs)
Departures: Lachlan Burr (Cowboys), Isaiah Papali'i (Eels), Taane Milne (Rabbitohs), Patrick Herbert (Titans), Nathaniel Roache (Eels), Agnatius Paasi (St Helens), Adam Keighran (Roosters), Adam Blair (retired), Gerard Beale (retired)
Christmas wish: Sweeping changes at the Warriors as new coach Nathan Brown sets up shop. He'll be asking Santa for a big bag of consistency, as he hopes to take the Warriors from being better than most on their day, to being better than most every day. And a return to Auckland based normality wouldn't be bad either.
North Queenland Cowboys
New signing: Lachlan Burr (Warriors)
Departures: Gavin Cooper (retired), Tom Opacic (Eels), John Asiata (Broncos)
Christmas wish: New coach Todd Payten hasn't made a lot of changes to the squad he inherited from Paul Green. He'll be asking Santa for a young half to emerge to partner Michael Morgan as Jake Clifford prepares to leave for the Knights next season.
Parramatta Eels
New signings: Keegan Hipgrave, Bryce Cartwright (Titans), Michael Oldfield (Raiders), Tom Opacic (Cowboys), Isaiah Papali'i (Warriors), Joey Lussick (Salford), Nathaniel Roache (Warriors - Dev squad)
Departures: Kane Evans (Warriors), Andrew Davey (Sea Eagles), George Jennings (Storm), Stefano Utoikamanu (Tigers), Jai Field (Wigan), Brad Takairangi (Hull KR), Daniel Alvaro (Dragons), David Gower (retired)
Christmas wish: Coach Brad Arthur will be asking Santa for the very best out of Bryce Cartwright. The Eels have taken a big punt in picking up Cartwright from the Titans. At his best he is a destructive edge forward with the all the skills of the most gifted half. Problem is, it has been years since we've seen his best.
Penrith Panthers
New signings: Robert Jennings (Wests Tigers), Matt Eisenhuth (Wests Tigers)
Departures: Jack Hetherington (Bulldogs), Caleb Aekins (Raiders), James Tamou (Wests Tigers), Malakai Watene-Zelezniak, Pat Hollis, Brayden McGrady (released)
Christmas wish: The vultures have swooped down on the Panthers after their Grand Final loss, picking at their depth with promises of starting positions elsewhere. Coach Ivan Cleary will be asking Santa for a quality centre to partner Stephen Crichton after Brent Naden, Tyrone May and Dean Whare failed to nail down the position last season.
St George Illawarra Dragons
New signings: Poasa Faamausili (Roosters), Jack Bird (Broncos), Daniel Alvaro (Eels)
Departures: Tyson Frizell (Knights), Euan Aitken (Warriors), Jason Saab (Sea Eagles), James Graham (St Helens), Jacob Host (Rabbitohs), Korbin Sims (Hull KR)
Christmas wish: New coach Anthony Griffin will be asking Santa to make Jack Bird the answer to the club's long-running issues in the halves. With Ben Hunt looking more and more like a dummy-half and Cameron McInnes playing at lock, a refreshed Bird has a great opportunity to restart his career.
South Sydney Rabbitohs
New signings: Jai Arrow (Titans), Jacob Host (Dragons), Taane Milne (Warriors), Tautau Moga (Knights)
Departures: James Roberts (Tigers), Bayley Sironen (Warriors), Jack Johns (Knights), Joseph Suaalii (Roosters), Ethan Lowe (retired)
Christmas wish: Coach Wayne Bennett will be asking Santa for some real impact from new signing Jai Arrow. The Bunnies have the backline pieces in place with Latrell Mitchell returning from injury, what they need to be premiership threats is a better engine room. Maybe Santa could leave them a quality prop forward under the tree as well.
Sydney Roosters
New signings: Adam Keighran (Warriors), Joseph Suaalii (Rabbitohs)
Departures: Kyle Flanagan (Bulldogs), Poasa Faamausili (Dragons), Ryan Hall (Hull KR), Christian Tuipulotu (Sea Eagles), Mitchell Aubusson (retired)
Christmas wish: Coach Trent Robinson will be asking Santa for the wisdom to best use young superstar Joseph Suaalii who the club have nabbed from the Rabbitohs. The youngster is still under the 18 year-old first grade minimum age,however the Roosters can ask for an exemption, but they won't want to pull the trigger too early. They also need a halfback to successfully combine with Luke Keary.
Wests Tigers
New signings: James Roberts (Rabbitohs), Stefano Utoikamanu (Eels), James Tamou (Panthers), Joe Ofahengaue (Broncos)
Departures: Chris McQueen (Huddersfield), Robert Jennings (Panthers), Matt Eisenhuth (Panthers), Harry Grant (Storm, loan over), Sam McIntyre (Titans), Josh Aloiai (Sea Eagles), Josh Reynolds (Hull FC), Chris Lawrence (retired), Benji Marshall (released)
Christmas wish: Coach Michael Maguire has made plenty of changes to the Tigers for 2021. He'll be asking Santa for the very best out of James Roberts as well as players to nail down the fullback and five-eighth roles after almost everyone had a turn last season. A hooker of the quality of Harry Grant wouldn't go amiss either.