No free rides for family or friends, says NRL

The cost of flying Parramatta prop Fuifui Moimoi's nine-year-old son, Sani, from New Zealand to watch his dad play as a surprise - organised and paid for by the Parramatta Eels - will be included under the club's salary cap.

The NRL might be seen as party-poopers by some for enforcing the inclusion, but the league's cap rules are clear in circumstances like this and Parramatta chief executive Paul Osborne says the club will accept the decision.

Sani, who lives with his mother in New Zealand, travelled over for Parramatta's home game against Penrith on August 28. The gesture, which was the idea of Eels chairman Roy Spagnolo, received a lot of post-match publicity.

A league spokesperson said yesterday the Eels had been asked to show cause why the trip - valued at $1500 for cap purposes - should not be included under the cap, but Osborne told the Sydney Morning Herald that wouldn't be necessary.

''We had a meeting with [NRL salary-cap auditor] Ian Schubert about the cap and that was one of the things that came up,'' Osborne said.

''The league said it had to be included under the cap, so we've accepted that and we'll move on.

''It was a great gesture organised by our chairman, but it's an anomaly of the salary cap. It's just one of those things, I suppose.''

Osborne said the minor addition would not force the club over the salary cap limit.

The NRL spokesperson said the league had to be strict on cap rules to do with benefits, to keep things from getting out of control.

''The salary-cap auditor is bound to look at any report of a player receiving a benefit,'' the spokesperson said.

''There are established rules that cover the provision of travel.

''The provision of airfares is a financial benefit - aside from the emotion of any individual circumstance that may arise, it has to be looked at in terms of the rules that apply to everyone.''

- © Fairfax NZ News