NRL: Moimoi's son caught up in salary cap drama

Eels prop Fuifui Moimoi. Photo / Getty Images

The transtasman flight of a young New Zealand boy to watch his dad play rugby league will be counted against the Parramatta Eels' salary cap.

The Eels paid for Parramatta prop Fuifui Moimoi's nine-year-old son, Sani, to travel from New Zealand as a surprise - but the National Rugby League has ordered the cost to be included under the club's salary cap.

Parramatta chief executive Paul Osborne said the club will accept the decision, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Sani, who lives with his mother in New Zealand, travelled over for Parramatta's home game against Penrith on August 28.

The gesture was the idea of Eels chairman Roy Spagnolo, and received a lot of post-match publicity.

A league spokesman said the Eels had been asked to show cause why the trip - valued at A$1500 ($1897) for cap purposes - should not be included under the cap.

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

"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."

- NZPA