NZ Warriors have committed to playing at least the first month of their 2021 NRL campaign in Australia.
If COVID-19 border restrictions allow, they will host their first home game in more than 12 months on April 9 against Manly Sea Eagles.
The team will relocate across the Tasman on January 3, until April 5.
"That allows us to prepare as best we can for the 2021 season as one group," says Warriors chief executive Cam George.
"We have two groups at present - one in Australia training and one in New Zealand. It's far from ideal... and to reunite those guys sooner, rather than later, is crucial."
The Warriors will conduct their pre-season at Tamworth, where they spent time during a 2020 season disrupted by coronavirus, and stage their first two 'home' fixtures against Gold Coast Titans and Newcastle Knights at Terrigal's Central Coast.
"The thing that's very important to understand is that if the borders open up in that time, we will not becoming home straight away," says George. "We will remain in Australia until after round four.
"We're not going to allow players to keep an eye on the news and wonder what the borders are doing. We're putting certainty into a very uncertain time.
"It's what we have to do, it's not what we want to do, but we've been set a task and we're very excited about taking it on."
Despite spending the entire 2020 season in Australia, the Warriors fell just short of the NRL playoffs and have since consolidated their programme under new coach Nathan Brown, with a raft of new player signings.
But the club is conscious of catering to players' families in their planning. Several players - notably star wingers David Fusitu'a and Ken Maumalo - returned home last season, when their families were unable to join them offshore.
"We're certainly encouraging players to take their families with them and they don't need much encouragement," says George.
"The opportunity for families to go was very important for us that they knew that very early on."
