Stat Attack: Eels road record repeats horrible history

Parramatta's horror season is threatening to tread rare - but unfortunately familiar - territory for the proud western Sydney outfit, with their woeful road record among the worst of the NRL era.

Should the Eels fall to North Queensland in Johnathan Thurston's last ever game before Townsville fans on Friday night, they will finish the year with a 0-12 away record and find themselves odds-on to claim the wooden spoon.

While an 18-14 win over the Cowboys in Darwin ranks among their victories at "home" this season, Brad Arthur's side could become just the sixth since 1998 to go winless on the road across an entire campaign.

Like most everything this season, Parramatta's struggles away from home come in stark contrast to their efforts last year, when they finished fourth thanks to an impressive 8-4 record when travelling.

The last time the Eels found so little favour away from home they also finished with the wooden spoon in 2013, while an 0-11 road record in 1995 saw them also narrowly avoid last-place in a 20-team competition.

That unwanted honour fell to the Cowboys in their inaugural season.

And among those teams who have failed to sing a victory song in the away sheds all year, Parramatta's early days feature prominently.

Across the course of finishing last eight times in 10 seasons between 1952 and 1961, Parramatta went winless away from home in 1960, 1958, 1956 and 1954.