Like last week, I've got a specific theme for this week's Offseason Octopus but want to share this with my adoring fans. The Queensland emerging squad have been at a training camp and one look at the list of players involved is pretty scary. Yes NSW have plenty of very talented youngsters waiting in the wings with a similar style camp also happening south of the borderd, but the Queensland version is more focused on guys who are next in line.

Ben BARBA (Brisbane Broncos)
Justin O’NEILL (Melbourne Storm)
Will CHAMBERS (Melbourne Storm)
Dane GAGAI (Newcastle Knights)
Edrick LEE (Canberra Raiders)
Anthony MILFORD (Canberra Raiders)
Martin KENNEDY (Brisbane Broncos)
Jake FRIEND (Sydney Roosters)
Dylan NAPA (Sydney Roosters)
Korbin SIMS (Newcastle Knights)
Aidan GUERRA (Sydney Roosters)
Michael MORGAN (North Queensland Cowboys)
Brenton LAWRENCE (Manly Sea Eagles)
James SEGEYARO (Penrith Panthers)

Not bad huh?

Now for the coaches. Depending on who you look at, this year will either be exciting times or a stressful year with pressure already starting to pile upon their shoulders. The likes of Paul Green will be eager to stamp his mark on the Cowboys while at the other end of the experience chart, Ricky Stuart has found himself in a fresh environment as well with the Raiders. Then you have to feel for guys like Anthony Griffin at the Broncos who starts the seasons under the pump and who knows what's gonna happen in the Shire with the Sharks. All I know is that while we're enjoying the on field action, there will be plenty of interest in how 80% of the coaches perform.

For me, there are a few coaches who are immune to any speculation as they have earned the right to coach their team without us talking crap about them. Craig Bellamy is obviously one of those. Bellamy is well known for his ability to work with the battlers and bring them in to the Storm squad where they have a simple role. This year will be no different with the Storm welcoming some very talented players. Bellamy will work well with George Rose, get the most out of Travis Robinson and I'm very excited to see what Bellamy can do with Cody Walker who is making the jump from Queensland Cup to NRL. The other coach who has a bit of a free pass is Geoff Toovey. Despite only being relatively new to the role, Toovey has clearly shown his ability by ensuring a smooth transition after Des Hasler gapped the scene and last year he some how led his troops deep in to the finals despite a extremely tough journey. Respect.

Then there's the guys who I'm just eager to see at the helm of an NRL team, whether it be for the first, second or third time, it doesn't really matter. I'm just excited to see how they go in 2014. First and foremost is Paul Green who is given his first NRL gig in Townsville and has a talented group at his disposal. Despite the Cowboys talent, they are an under-performing group and Green might have the magic touch to help the Cowboys realise their potential. Another guy who could do some great things in 2014 is Mick Potter at the Tigers. Potter weathered the storm last season and emerged alive, which is handy and he'll be out to restore some of the faith with Tigers fans. Potter has a much more settled unit this season with the departure of Benji Marshall meaning the media might fall back a little bit. Potter has some of the best young players in the game to work with as well as some very experience veterans who are keen to help out where ever they are needed. A potentially potent mix. While I'm not expecting the Tigers to shake up the NRL, at least this is now Potter's team.

If I've mentioned Mick Potter in that category, it's only fair that Brad Arthur gets a mention as well. The Eels were a mess last season, but 2014 is a fresh start. While this is Potter's second season, Arthur is in his first so it will be interesting to see what kind of influence he can hold over this Eels squad. The creepy thing is, with the likes of Chris Sandow and Jarryd Hayne in your squad the unbeatable switch can be turned on very quickly so Arthur could have stumbled upon a gold mine.

Aah, the poor blokes who will be very nervous going in to this season. Anthony Griffin is at the helm of one of the biggest sporting clubs in Australasia and is coming off the back of a terrible season by Broncos standards. He now has a few weapons, strong leadership core and a group of young players who are now established NRL players. Griffin just has to do a better job than last season which he should be able to do but he will have many sleepless nights nonetheless. Think of this as a similar situation to the Manchester United situation except Sir Alex Ferguson is Darren Lockyer. The Broncos need time and their fans need to be patient.

How long can John Cartwright be the Gold Coast Titans coach despite mediocre performances? Who knows, but Cartwright better figure out the code to the Titans pretty quickly or they will start to look elsewhere. The Titans have never looked like winning the ship so a lot will depend on how they go this season. Another joker who could soon find himself feeling the heat of those above him is Des Hasler. Hasler has a big reputation and was brought across from Manly to win. He did a good job with Ben Barba, but struggled last season without the dynamic fullback. Can Hasler work his magic and turn this Barba-less Bulldogs squad in to contenders? I'm not sure but I'll enjoy the ride.

Steve Price, you now have some strike weapons as well as a younger playing group. Can you figure this coaching business out? If not you will find yourself as the first coach to be without a job. No pressure.

Now for the guys who are safe, but will be fun to watch anyway. Trent Robinson is safe for obvious reasons, while Ivan Cleary is in it for the long term. The journey is the thing to watch with the Panthers and especially Ivan Cleary. Cleary has been shown a lot of faith so all we can do is sit back and watch him go to work. Wayne Bennett can do whatever he wants really and as 2015 is his last season, I can't see him getting the flick before that. The Knights have a very slight chance of glory, so keep an eye out on how Bennett starts to set the Knights up for life after Wayne.

I, like many Warriors fans am eagerly awaiting the 2014 season. This could be the year where we see what Mathew Elliot offers as a coach and I believe he has the perfect style to deal with this season's situation. Elliott is a thinker, someone who isn't afraid of doing something different and this creative mindset will be put to the test with a variety of selection conundrums - most notably what to do with Sam Tomkins/Kevin Locke. You never know, we could see dual fullbacks!? How awesome would that be? Elliott must have something up his sleeve as I have no doubt that he would have been made fully aware of the Tomkins situation by Wayne Scurrah during the interview process. Not only does he have to figure all that out, but he also has some very promising young players at his disposal as well who will be pushing first grade. Plenty to ponder for Elliot and I'll be watching every move.