Burgess: NRL players wrong to target Rugby League World Cup

Johnathan Thurston Copyright: Andrew Cornaga / www.Photosport.nz

League fans shouldn't panic about the talk of a player boycott of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.

Though the prospect was raised on Tuesday by Australian media, the chances of it actually happening are very remote, as there is simply too much at stake.

It's also still five months away from the tournament kicking off, which is surely plenty of time for the players and the NRL to settle their differences over the split of the massive new A$2 billion broadcasting deal.

The players currently have a right to feel aggrieved, and there is no doubt their proposed share of the pie doesn't seem equitable as things stand.

But it's disappointing they have focused on the World Cup.

It's a soft target.

While it's a product aligned to the NRL, it's also a separate entity run for the good of the global game.

The concept has struggled over the years - there was no tournament between 2000 and 2008 - though finally the Rugby League International Federation has got a calendar in place and the event is steadily growing.

A boycott would punish the wrong stakeholders.

Aside from the fans, what about all those keen amateur and semi-professional players from the minor nations?

The men from the United States, Wales, Lebanon and Italy, who have had to battle through qualification for their chance to shine on the world stage?

The World Cup is about much more than the NRL.

If the players, and the Rugby League Players Association really wanted to make a point - and play a big card at the negotiating table - they needed to target one of the NRL's crown jewels.

Like threaten a strike during the finals series this year, or even bigger, to sit out the grand final.

That would really grab the NRL's attention, much more than targeting a quadrennial tournament that is vital for the future of the sport.