Gone baby gone: Boars lose two guns ahead of 2024 season

Still, losing Willie Baker and Luke Hetherington - two of Group 4's best players - has got to sting.

Watton revealed that Baker and Hetherington - named at centre and prop, respectively, in Group 4's 2023 team of the year - have departed the club.

Baker, the competition's leading tryscorer last season with 25 touchdowns, has returned home to Nambucca Heads.

Hetherington, meanwhile, has signed with the Sawtell Panthers.

Watton said Moree had "sort of filled those gaps, and they'll be finalised in the next few weeks".

"We're quite happy where we're sitting at the moment," he said, adding that the club "had a police officer move to town - he just fell into our lap. He'll fill Luke's position.

"And we just have a reserve-grader, Marky Pegus, who's really keen to step up and play first grade. Every day of the week he's a first-grader. So it was sort of an easy fix for us."

The Boars have also signed veteran prop Chris Vidler from Kootingal-Moonbi.

Watton said Vidler was a "great addition for us".

"Obviously Chris and I go way back. I won many premierships with Chris in the West Lions days," he said, adding: "He'll compliment the forward pack quite well.

"He's a senior forward, and he's been a great player in the Group for many, many years. Looking forward to teaming up with Vids again, for sure."

After returning to Group 4 in 2020 following a long absence, Moree missed winning their first Group 4 premiership since 2002 when Norths beat them 26-16 in the grand final in August.

Watton said it was "sort of easy to get guys back to your club" after a "pretty successful year".

"And we're quite planned and organised, and we run good pre-seasons, and we've been around the game for a long period of time," he said. "We don't have to chase too many players, to be honest."