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Melbourne Storm backrower Eli Katoa has been officially ruled out the entire 2026 rugby league season as he focuses on rehabilitation at home in Victoria, following coming back from a extended period in New Zealand after undergoing brain surgery.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old athlete sustained three separate head injuries in a single match while playing for the Tongan national team in a Pacific Championship match versus the Kiwis. This led to convulsions while off the field, requiring emergency medical attention.

A surgical procedure to address bleeding on the brain left the player in the hospital and initially unable to travel back to Melbourne.

The team announced this week that Katoa has now come back and is recovering, having also been briefly admitted to a Melbourne hospital.

“Eli’s health and wellbeing are our top concern,” stated Storm CEO a team official. “It is great to have him back home and under the supervision of our medical staff and specialist physicians.”

The Road to Recovery

Rodski added that the athlete is making daily progress and is eager to pursuing his recovery from home.

Importantly, the CEO confirmed that there is no set timeline for Katoa’s recovery or a potential return to training.

“After discussions with our medical team and neuro specialists, Katoa won't be back to training this pre-season and is ruled out for the upcoming season,” Rodski declared. “There is a long road ahead in his recovery, and his primary goal will be on returning to full health prior to contemplating any form of return to training.”

Rodski finished by noting that Eli is a much loved and respected part of the squad and club, and that the entire club will support him fully and support him through his recovery.

Broader Context

The NRL is currently finalizing its inquiry into the circumstances that resulted in the required neurosurgery.

The powerful forward, who was named in the competition’s team of the year at the annual awards ceremony, appeared to suffer a concussion during the pregame routine for the international contest.

However, Katoa was allowed to play in the game and suffered two more head impacts before being substituted in the later stages.

Katoa’s condition deteriorated quickly, and he needed medical oxygen beside the field before being removed from the field on a stretcher.

The league has attempted to address concerns around head injuries in the game in recent years, implementing stricter enforcement on dangerous contact and expanding the mandatory recovery time for injured athletes.