Julia Gillard faces another challenge to her authority as football chiefs meet today to plan an aggressive campaign against her bid to curb the use of poker machines by problem gamblers.
With the AFL joining the NRL's campaign, the Government is fighting back, saying the football codes have a duty of care to protect members addicted to pokies.
Labor MPs said last night the Prime Minister must not be seen to be dictated to, amid rising speculation of a comeback by Kevin Rudd.
The Foreign Minister is due back in Australia tomorrow and is expected to attend the Cabinet meeting.
He is telling MPs he is enjoying his job and has no intention of being drafted into the leadership anytime soon ''just to clean up the mess''.
Feverish speculation about the Labor leadership was fanned by the Coalition last week as Ms Gillard struggled to get support for legislation to confirm her Malaysia people swap plan.
Her authority has come under scrutiny after the High Court ruling against offshore processing of boat people.
ACTU president Ged Kearney called on federal caucus yesterday to stop the speculation.
''I think it's not the time to be squabbling over leadership, I think it is the time to actually get on to the job of governing,'' she said.
Ms Gillard has promised independent Andrew Wilkie, in return for his support of the minority Labor Government, that she will introduce mandatory pre-commitment to limit the amount problem gamblers spend on poker machines.
He is threatening to withdraw his support for the Government if it backs off in the face of the campaign by Clubs Australia and the football codes that the technology will reduce revenue and cost jobs.
The AFL and NRL plan TV advertisements during grand finals' week against the plan, arguing it would hurt community football clubs.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou and club presidents were to meet today to plan strategies.
The AFL's media and communications department tweeted late yesterday that the AFL was not starting a campaign this week about the legislation.
AFL media manager Patrick Keane said the code was concerned the plan would go further than helping problem gamblers, to have a wider impact on clubs that have invested heavily in premises.
''We will continue to work with clubs, the community and government to find a balanced solution that tackles the problem without causing significant issues for AFL and community sporting clubs.''
Community Services Minister Jenny Macklin said football codes as well as the Government had a duty of care to help problem gamblers.
''Problem gamblers are spending on average $21,000 a year ... we want to provide some help to those people who are addicted to poker machines,'' she said.
''I think [football codes] know that they do have a duty of care to work with the Government to address problem gambling and we'll continue to do that.''
Mr Wilkie said the campaign by the football codes had made him more determined to fight for his reforms.
Some NSW Labor MPs are pushing for the Prime Minister to weaken her policy to allow voluntary commitment by gamblers. Backbenchers will have the chance to put that view when the legislation is brought to caucus but Ms Gillard is expected to win the vote by locking all cabinet ministers into supporting mandatory commitments.
Parliamentary secretary Mike Kelly, who represents the seat of Eden-Monaro, said last night he favoured voluntary commitment.
''All of my clubs understand there is a problem with problem gambling and all of them want to do something about it,'' he told The Canberra Times.
''We're just keen to make sure we do something that doesn't threaten the viability of our pubs and clubs and that will work.
''So we're just keen to keep the conversation going and look at the detail of the reform when we see the legislation and work on it from there.''
He advocated voluntary pre-commitment while making it mandatory for all clubs and pubs to have a problem gambling policy in place and trained staff to support it.
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