After you've played three games in 13 days a nine-day turnaround can seem a lifetime, but for Storm coach Craig Bellamy it feels more like an overseas holiday.
Melbourne will head into Monday's nights clash with the Cowboys off an eight-day break, a nice change from their hectic early-season schedule.
They started 2015 with a 2-1 record and while the club has welcomed the extra preparation the Melbourne coach admits the change comes with its challenges.
"It feels like I've been over to Europe for a holiday it's been that long this week. After a five-day turnaround to have nine days, it's a real luxury," Bellamy said.
"But the thing with that is when you get inconsistent turnarounds it is inconsistent preparations and inconsistency with your routines. That's what we find a little bit hard with it.
"Having said that nine days has been good for injuries, it helps players get over their little niggles. Certainly I'd much prefer a nine day break that a five day break so we'll take it."
Melbourne will face a North Queensland team in the midst of their worst start to a season since 2008.
The winless Cowboys already have two losses at home this season, one more than they did all of last year.
Coach Paul Green has shifted his backline with Kyle Feldt and former Storm player Justin O'Neill making way for Matthew Wright and Antonio Winterstein.
Melbourne are much better placed than the last time they boarded the flight north in Round 14 last year, when they were without Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater.
The result was a humbling 22-0 defeat in the midst of the worst injury crisis the club had seen in years.
This time around it is a much different story, having named an unchanged side as they prepare for the second longest road trip in the NRL.
Even though the Cowboys' stellar pre-season form has dissipated Bellamy remains cautious of a home side desperate to open their account for 2015.
"I'd imagine they'd be more hungry, whether that makes them more dangerous or not I don’t know," he said.
"The quality of their side, they were one of the favorites at the start of the season but we are just concerned about ourselves at the moment.
"It's a long trip and not exactly the routine we usually use in away games going a day earlier. It is just a matter of focusing on where we need to focus at training and then getting prepared to do the job on Monday night."
The Cowboys and the Storm do battle at 7pm this Monday night at 1300SMILES Stadium.
