To me, one of the disappointing factors is around the amount of games and progress the younger guys made. When you have such a sub-par season, if you can content yourself with bringing some young, promising guys through, then you can make some sense of it. Not sure that's the case this year.
Maiu'u played one game, and 13 minutes. Sifakula played 3 - 65mins total. Halasima played 4, looked really great in one of them, but then was never seen again. Laban played 7 mid-season but wasn't sighted again past the Titans thumping (was it his fault?).
I don't think we start 2025 with any significant clue about whether those guys can play a significant role, nor thinking any of them are near NRL-hardened. We'll very likely need them to be, if Tohu is cooked, Walker is thinking about going, and if injuries hit.