The competition will be a new-look one this year as the absence of Westside has created a bye.

But a number of off-season signings across the competition, but the development of a number of rivalries in recent years, has fans already licking their lips ahead of round one on the weekend of April 25 and 26.

We've taken the time to look at each club and how their season shapes up.

Last season: Premiers

First half of season: Parkes (home), Forbes (away), Narromine (away), Macquarie (home), Nyngan (home), bye, CYMS (away).

The defending premiers face a test first up against a revamped Parkes side determined to make a real impact on the title race in 2020.

They do have the benefit of playing at home in that game, and the Cowboys also welcome Macquarie and Nyngan to Kennard Park in the opening half of the campaign.

That home ground is a real advantage against sides which are targeting a top three finish.

The benefit of three difficult fixtures at home plus an early trip to perennial slow-starts in Forbes means their Cowboys have a golden chance to begin the season well.

However, the end of the regular season shapes as the Cowboys' real test as they travel to Dubbo twice and Nyngan in the final four rounds of the season.

Last season: Minor premiers, lost grand final

First half of season: Narromine (home), Macquarie (away), Forbes (away), Nyngan (home), bye, Parkes (away), Wellington (home).

With all respect to Narromine, a home game against the Jets is just what CYMS would have wanted after an off-season of such change.

A host of players, headlined by Alex Ronayne, have departed the club and a Jets which is enduring a finals drought will again be an outsider in 2020.

A derby clash with Ronayne and his Macquarie Raiders follows before tests against Forbes and Nyngan before the bye.

Further tricky tests against Parkes and Wellington round out the first half of the season.

The bye could come at a perfect time in the second half of the campaign as the Fishies prepare for clashes the Spacemen and a daunting trip to Kennard Park to finish the regular season.

Last season: Third, lost preliminary final

First half of season: Macquarie (home), Parkes (away), bye, CYMS (away), Wellington (away), Forbes (home), Narromine (home).

An opening weekend at Larkin Oval. You can guarantee black and gold will be everywhere for the Tigers' first game under new captain-coach Tom Warner.

A Macquarie side which has undergone a massive off-season change may take some time to gel and offers the Tigers a chance to begun well before three difficult away trips to Parkes, CYMS' home ground of Apex Oval, and Wellington follow.

It might be early in those season but those matches, with a bye in the middle, will give a real indication of how the Tigers are shaping up.

The Tigers finish the first half of the season at home, against Forbes and Narromine respectively.

Last season: Fifth, lost minor semi-final

First half of season: Bye, Wellington (home), CYMS (home), Narromine (away), Macquarie (home), Nyngan (away), Parkes (away).

There's plenty of excitement in Forbes with the likes of premiership heroes Jake Grace and Mitch Andrews having returned to the nest.

Magpies fans will have to wait that little longer to see their side in action as a round one bye awaits, before clashes with both the 2019 grand finalists. Those games are both at home, however.

Forbes has been a slow starter in recent seasons so it's worth looking at how the second half of the season shapes up when they will no doubt be coming home with a wet sail.

The Magpies finish the regular season with two home games, against fellow premiership contenders Nyngan and Parkes respectively, and the Spooner Oval effect could well decide where each of those sides finishes on the ladder.

Last season: Fourth, lost elimination semi-final

First half of season: Wellington (away), Nyngan (home), Macquarie (away), bye, Narromine (away), CYMS (home), Forbes (home).

The Spacemen have welcomed a host of new and returning faces to Parkes this off-season and they will be given a baptism of fire when the new campaign begins.

There's not much more imposing than a trip to Kennard Park but that awaits the Spacemen as they take on the defending premiers in the opening round.

The Spacemen also get a bye at a handy time, it comes right in the middle of the round each time.

During the second half of the regular season it will give coach Brent Wood and his players a chance to recharge the battery before a tricky run home.

A home game against Narromine is followed by road trips to take on both CYMS and fierce rivals, Forbes.

Last season: Sixth

First half of season: Nyngan (away), CYMS (home), Parkes (home), Wellington (away), Forbes (away), Narromine (home), bye.

There's no doubt Macquarie have the most difficult start of any side in the competition.

In the opening five weeks the revamped Raiders take on each of last season's finalists, and three of those are away from home.

The long trek to Nyngan is first before a derby clash with CYMS and then a reunion with former captain-coach Wes Middleton, now at Parkes.

Trips to Wellington and Forbes will truly test new captain-coach Alex Ronayne and his troops while a clash with Narromine is followed by two weeks off due to a bye and the competition-wide June long weekend general bye.

The one positive of such a hard opening half of the season means the Raiders play two of their last three rounds games at home.

Last season: Seventh

First half of season: CYMS (away), bye, Wellington (home), Forbes (home), Parkes (home), Macquarie (away), Nyngan (away)

In the opening six rounds of the competition the Jets go no further than a short trip to Dubbo.

That makes things that bit easier for returning captain-coach Dylan Hill as he looks to take a side which showed plenty of promise last year to the next level.

After a difficult meeting with CYMS and then a bye in round two, the Jets enjoy a nice run of three successive home games.

That fixtures - against Wellington, Forbes, and Parkes - will be a massive test but Cale Oval will no doubt be packed for those fixtures.

Further down the line, the Jets will finish their regular season at home as well against the Nyngan Tigers.