Strength of schedule: Which team has toughest NRL draw in run to finals
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Manly have been one the surprise packets for the 2019 Telstra Premiership season but their final run home presents the biggest challenge of all with 14 clubs vying for a top-eight spot.
NRL.com Stats has crunched the numbers to measure the strength of schedule across all 16 NRL clubs based on their remaining seven games.
The rankings are measured by the average of opposition competition points in remaining games, while home-ground winning percentage fluctuates totals for home and away outfits.
The Sea Eagles face ladder-leaders Melbourne twice in rounds 19 and 24 before clashes against fourth-placed Canberra and top-eight hopefuls Newcastle, Parramatta, Wests Tigers and the Warriors.
The Warriors are in a similar position with four difficult road trips against the Eels, Roosters, Sharks and Raiders, while they'll also tackle the Sea Eagles, Rabbitohs and Raiders again on home turf.
Canberra have the third strongest schedule to face according to the data.
The Raiders are well-placed in the top four but their premiership credentials are likely to be tested early with back-to-back clashes against Melbourne and Sydney Roosters from round 21.
Top-eight hopefuls on the "easy" end of the spectrum include Parramatta, who have the best run home based on ladder position and predicaments.
The Eels have endured an inconsistent season but have four of their last seven games at Bankwest Stadium with clashes against the Knights, Broncos and Sea Eagles presenting possibly their biggest challenge.
Brisbane and the Wests Tigers are next best beneficiaries on the rankings list.
The Broncos have clashes against Melbourne and South Sydney coming up but both games will be played on home turf.
Wests Tigers' season of highs and lows could come down to their vital round-19 clash against the Knights on Friday.
A victory could propel the side into top-eight calculations with only the Sea Eagles and Sharks above them on the ladder in their run home.
Cronulla, St George Illawarra and South Sydney all finish on a rating of 22, while the remaining seven teams face an evenly poised run home with a mix of clashes against teams higher or lower than them on the ladder.
