Gold Coast mayor Ron Clarke says temporary seating for NRL matches at Carrara Stadium would make the surface unsafe for AFL matches when the Kangaroos play there next season.
The clash over the stadium comes because the NRL team, Gold Coast Titans, plans to play at Carrara while its new ground is being built.
The extra seating is needed to square the arena for NRL, but Clarke opposes the plan, and claims the Titans and council representatives met behind his back earlier this week.
If the council does agree to the Titans' plan, it might be forced to repay the AFL its 1 million dollar contribution for the upgrade of the ground.