NRL happy to help FFA

NRL chief executive David Gallop has re-iterated his support for Australia's World Cup football bid – but warned the backing will not come at rugby league's cost.

Gallop met with FFA counterpart Ben Buckley in Sydney on Friday to thrash out a number of issues threatening to de-rail the hosting bid.

The NRL is seeking assurances its competition will not be drastically affected should Australia win the right to hold the World Cup in either 2018 or 2022.

FFA is at war with the AFL over the use of Etihad Stadium as a Wordd Cup venue and wants to avoid a similar stoush with the NRL over Sydney's sporting stadia.

"We are happy to try and work together but the price of that co-operation cannot be such that it puts the future of our clubs at risk," Gallop said after Friday's meeting.

"We have to be able to continue to operate effectively for our own clubs' sake and for the sake of the millions of fans in this country who follow them."

"There is only so much disruption our clubs can endure and still remain viable in the years that follow."

"I do think people need to step back from the view that any attempt we make to ensure that we protect our game is somehow portrayed as an attack on the World Cup bid."

Gallop said discussions with Buckley had been productive and would be ongoing.

"Ben has given us his personal assurance that we will be given complete transparency over any issue in the bid document which may affect us," Gallop continued.

"It is going to be a more lengthy process than most realise with a number of the international requirements not due to be finalised until May."