It's incredible that we're 15 games deep, and they've only travelled to Sydney once so far this year!
They've lucked out facing the Eels in Darwin, and Tigers during Magic Round. Doggies are even hosting a game in Bundaberg later this year.
Not sure if Manly have what it takes to beat a Top 4 team, but I'm also not sure if the Cowboys are a genuine Top 4 team either.
Meh. Travelling having a noticeable effect on teams is lMO people grasping at straws to explain why teams are better.
These guys can unwind and relax on the trips. There's no real pressure on the players if they have to travel 20kms or 1,000kms.
Venue however can make a difference. Ie home crowds firing teams up. Putting pressure on the ref etc.
Location can make a difference if weather is a bit wild and one team is used to it while others aren't.
But the travel itself IMO wouldn't have any noticeable effect at all.
I remember in 2020 people doing the math on how many kms we had travelled and suggesting that was why we were winning. Now it's refs and our guys being a protected species etc.
any reason other than some teams are just better than others