Any end to the long-running collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the NRL and its players appears unlikely when representatives from the two parties meet on Tuesday.
NRL bosses and their Rugby League Players Association counterparts are booked in for a half-day meeting in Sydney.
It will mark the first time the two parties have met since the RLPA knocked back the NRL's latest CBA offer, which the league originally claimed was too good to refuse.
At the top of the list of priorities will be the debate over which streams should be included or protected from the shared revenue agreement.
Privacy also remains a concern for the players, while details surrounding insurance and retirement funds must all be nutted out.
Meanwhile both parties are understood to have found common ground on the NRL's offer of a $9.4 million salary cap for the 2018 season.
The prospect of boycotts of the Dally Ms and key commercial finals events remains a possibility - including next Monday's captain's call.
Any strike of the World Cup is far more remote and would be seen as an extreme measure. It was not discussed at last week's mass meeting of almost 250 players.
While it's hoped Tuesday's meeting will be productive, it's believed at least three to four days of sit-downs will be required to solve the matter.
Representatives from both sides are confident a deal can be struck in the coming weeks, with more meetings likely to take place in the next fortnight.
Tuesday's meeting will include NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg and head of integrity Nick Weeks, as well as RLPA CEO Ian Prendergast and general manager Clint Newton.
The RLPA last week said the 14-month long negotiations had moved significantly since Greenberg came to the table.
"We've made a lot of process since Todd Greenberg has become involved and we're confident there is a fantastic deal to be done for not only players but the game," Prendergast said.
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