Australian Rugby League chairman Peter V'landys is pressuring Federal Government to allow the families of NZ Warriors players into Australia.
Channel Nine reports V'landys is pushing for travel exemptions that would see the family members overcome border controls introduced to restrict spread of the coronavirus.
Twelve people, mainly wives and children of three players, are believed to be those in question. None are Australian citizens or residents.
Some players already have Australian-based family members in camp with them, but others are struggling with homesickness, particularly those with young families.
The Warriors have made incredible sacrifices to keep the NRL competition alive amid COVID-19 disruption, twice committing to basing themselves across the Tasman, away from their families and fans, until the end of the season.
Injuries have racked their squad, with few reinforcements possible under quarantine restrictions, and they have resorted to borrowing players from other clubs to keep their numbers up.
This week, morale hit rock bottom, when coach Stephen Kearney lost his job within hours of a particularly dispiriting 40-12 loss to South Sydney Rabbitohs.
In his final media conference, Kearney highlighted the absence of families as a major source of discontent among his players.
"We've got guys in the group who've got families with young kids," he said. "We're really hopeful.
"They're coming out of a very clean bubble in New Zealand and hopefully allowed to join our bubble, which is very clean also.
"Hopefully, the Federal Government or powers that be give the opportunity for families with young kids to be able to join us."
But while Australia enjoyed early success in combating the virus, the number of cases has spiked again, particularly in Victoria.
The Warriors' clash with Melbourne Storm on Friday has been transferred to a neutral Sydney venue, as their rivals also face a prolonged stay away from home to keep the competition viable.
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