Apologies in advance, as I hate to write anything negative about the game I love, and the game that provides countless hours of entertainment across 30+ weekends a year, but sometimes the game is its own worst enemy.

No, it’s not the referees, it’s not the ticket prices (more on that later) nor anything even involved with on-field play, but more the impending borderline farce that is threatening our game’s “night of nights.”

That’s right, for those who didn’t know, and I bet there would be more than the odd few, this upcoming Wednesday night is THE biggest night in the NRL calendar.

No not a series-deciding Origin three, no not a Grand final, not even the incredible Anzac Day game, but instead the Dally M awards.

I know right? That crept up quickly. I can’t believe it is almost here. I can’t wait to see what partners of players I forgot played first grade are wearing. Or should I say “who” they are wearing?

Except there is a possible spanner in the works in the fact that the NRL’s superstars may boycott the awards night in a show of solidarity against the big, bad NRL in the ongoing pay dispute.

Can you imagine, no Dally M awards!?

I know my work, ney, my month, would be ruined. I doubt I would even tune in on Grand Final Day on Sunday week if I couldn’t watch Cameron Smith receive his 832nd Dally M award.

Genuine question: Does anybody, ANYBODY, outside the media who decide the awards, care even in the slightest about the Dally M awards night?

Would anyone, ANYONE, be forced to find alternate plans if they were robbed of the pleasure of wa70-year-old journalists name a team of the year that will likely miss the mark, as it does most years?

And more so, would this garner sympathy in seeing multi-millionaire Cameron Smith miss out on receiving yet another award in his efforts to lead the players toward a bigger chunk of the NRL finance pie?

For me, no, no and pfft.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll watch it … No, I can’t lie. I have little to no interest. Last year was fun as it was close, but I can’t see anyone touching Cameron Smith.

I am looking forward to seeing human highlight reel James Roberts overlooked in the centre of the year award though in favour or Mr Consistency Will Chambers. That’ll be fun on social media for a laugh or two.

But ultimately, I’ll probably forget the awards night is even on. As I would guess a fair few of you would also.

Todd Greenberg says the awards night will go on regardless of player turn up.

THAT would be a farce. If players aren’t going to turn up, I doubt they’ll do video crosses accepting awards. Instead we’ll have an unfunny “comedian” make “jokes” to a near empty call and a TV audience of 300 people.

And I’m willing to bet more than a few fans, and NRL officials, will see this as little more than a dummy spit by players, and ultimately the players will fail in their objective anyways.

Hopefully common sense prevails and we can all start planning our yearly Dally M shindigs.

It’s always a cracker of a night in the Nichols household.

But if the player boycott does eventuate, and the likely cancellation of the awards night is to follow, how many of you would genuinely care?

Surely not enough to make it a worth while publicity stunt?