Saturday's NRL All Stars match could be the last in its current format with the fixture in jeopardy, while the National Youth Competition may end as soon as this year.
The contract to play the All Stars game expires after Saturday and despite the match being played in six of the past seven years, its place on the rugby league calendar is under review by the NRL's head of football, Todd Greenberg.
While Greenberg said the game remained an important part of the season, its format could change after Saturday's match at Suncorp Stadium.
"The All Stars is an event that's been on the calendar for a number of years and is held in very high regard by all of us," he said.
"Not just for the event but for everything that happens in the week before it. It is a very important part of the calendar. Where it best sits on the calendar, I've got to do some thinking.
"I'm not sure what will happen with All Stars in the future but it's a very important part of our season structure. Where it is best suited is a discussion we must have with the clubs.
"But 40,000 people at Suncorp, it will be a great event."
This year's match has been hit by a spate of high-profile withdrawals, including Johnathan Thurston, Robbie Farah, Simon Mannering, Tyson Frizell and Sam Burgess, while South Sydney's Alex Johnston is unlikely to play after injuring his shoulder at the Auckland Nines.
Greg Inglis will captain the Indigenous side, while Sam Thaiday, Greg Bird, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Paul Gallen will feature.
"In a perfect sense, you pick two teams and they all play," Greenberg said. "But we are realists and we know there will be injuries at the weekend at Nines.
"There has been significant injuries in pre-season for players at training. We understand the landscape. Every Indigenous player I've talked to thoroughly looks forward to it. I know JT [Thurston] is disappointed he is not playing.
"We have other commitments around World Club Series and the Nines and clubs prepare their own pre-season. It's a balancing act trying to make it work."
While the future of the All Stars is up in the air, the demise of the under-20s competition could be fast-tracked to the end of this season. As part of the restructure of the game's pathways, the under-20s will become a state-based competition.
This was due to happen at the end of 2017 and Greenberg said it was "unlikely" to end this season.
"The commission approved the end of the NYC at the end of 2017 which is in alignment with the broadcast and sponsorship agreements," Greenberg said. "Clubs came to us and said can we fast-track that and finish it at the end of '16?
"We went to the clubs and said: 'What's your views?' And there were mixed views from clubs to make it early or not.
"The 20s is not being removed, it's just being removed from a national comp to a state-based comp. If you look at the structures of elite pathways, it goes back to exactly how it should be. The best NRL players aren't coming from 20s to their NRL teams, they are coming from the second-tier."
