BY CURTIS WOODWARD – EDITOR

@woodward_curtis

Canterbury-Bankstown and the Cronulla Sharks will begin their respective 2020 NRL campaigns without having to leave Sydney in the first four rounds while rivals Parramatta and Wests Tigers will both clock up over 4000 kilometres in the air.

In fact, the Sharks won’t have to travel outside the Harbour City until round six when they head to Brisbane to play the Broncos while the Bulldogs play their first game outside Sydney the following week against the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville.

It’s a dream start for both clubs.

The Eels on the other hand will do two trips to Queensland in a matter of weeks against the Gold Coast in round two and then the Cowboys. Arch rivals Wests Tigers do play St George Illawarra in Wollongong in round one but their opening four-round block also includes a clash with the Warriors in Auckland.

Not surprisingly, it’s the Warriors and Cowboys who will travel the furthest in the opening rounds.

The Defending back-to-back premiers Sydney Roosters are on the road just the once with a quick drive up to Gosford to play Manly – more than fair considering their squads have been stretched far and wide in recent weeks.

It’s not a pretty picture for the Warriors who are perennial battlers on the road and it gets far worse coming into the final rounds of the premiership.

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The Warriors will travel a whopping 15,400 kilometres on the run to the playoffs – almost 9,000 kilometres more than the next team which includes away games on the Sunshine Coast, Townsville and Sydney.

Manly get hit harder than any of the Sydney sides in the final four matches notching up road games in Newcastle, Auckland and the Gold Coast for a total of 5,840 kilometres.

The Dragons , Panthers and Eels won’t have to leave home at all heading into September while the Bulldogs have just the short trip north to Newcastle to go with their cushy start to the season.

OPENING FOUR ROUNDS

Warriors: 8,400 km
Cowboys: 5,340 km
Eels: 4,760 km
Raiders: 4,600 km
Broncos: 4,240 km
Wests Tigers: 4,200 km
Titans: 3,200 km
Rabbitohs: 2,940 km
Storm: 2,860 km
Panthers: 1430 km
Dragons: 540 km
Knights: 480 km
Sea Eagles: 340 km
Roosters: 140 km
Bulldogs: Nil
Sharks: Nil

FINAL FOUR ROUNDS

Warriors: 15,400 km
Cowboys: 6,720 km
Sea Eagles: 5,840 km
Broncos: 3,800 km
Sharks: 3,360 km
Roosters: 2,930 km
Storm: 1870 km
Rabbitohs: 1780 km
Titans: 1540 km
Knights: 1440 km
Raiders: 1245 km
Wests Tigers: 540 km
Bulldogs: 240 km
Dragons: Nil
Eels: Nil
Panthers: Nil

@woodward_curtis