Melbourne Storm forward Eli Katoa will miss the entire 2026 NRL season as he focuses on rehabilitation at home in Victoria, after returning from a prolonged stay in New Zealand after undergoing brain surgery.
What Happened
The 25-year-old sustained three head impacts in a single match while playing for the Tongan national team in a international match against the Kiwis. Subsequently, he experienced seizures while on the sideline, necessitating urgent medical care.
A medical operation to address a brain bleed left Katoa hospitalized and initially unable to travel to his club base.
The team revealed this week that the forward has finally returned home and is on the mend, having also been briefly admitted to a local medical facility.
“Eli’s health and wellbeing are our number one priority,” said Storm CEO a team official. “We are thrilled to have him back home and under the care of our medical staff and specialist physicians.”
The Road to Recovery
Rodski added that the player is improving each day and is eager to continuing his rehabilitation from home.
However, the CEO confirmed that there is no timeframe for Katoa’s recovery or a comeback to the field.
“After discussions with our doctor and neuro specialists, Eli will not return to practice this pre-season and is ruled out for the upcoming season,” Rodski declared. “He has a long road ahead in his recovery, and his focus will be on returning to full health prior to contemplating any form of return to training.”
Rodski finished by saying that Eli is a much loved and respected member of our team and organization, and that the Storm family will rally around him and support him through his recovery.
League Investigation
The NRL is wrapping up its inquiry into the circumstances that resulted in Katoa’s surgery.
The powerful forward, who was named in the league's best lineup at the annual awards ceremony, appeared to suffer a concussion during the warm-up for the Pacific Championship match.
However, he was cleared to participate in the match and suffered two additional blows to the head before coming off in the second half.
Katoa’s condition deteriorated quickly, and he required oxygen on the sideline before being taken off on a medicab.
The NRL has sought to tackle concerns around concussions in the sport in recent seasons, introducing stricter enforcement on dangerous contact and expanding the mandatory recovery time for affected players.
