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Melbourne Storm backrower Eli Katoa has been officially ruled out the complete 2026 rugby league season as he focuses on rehabilitation at home in his home state, following coming back from a extended period in Auckland where he underwent a neurosurgical procedure.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old athlete sustained three head impacts in a single afternoon while playing for the Tongan national team in a international fixture against New Zealand. This led to seizures while off the field, necessitating urgent medical care.

A medical operation to address a brain bleed resulted in the player in the hospital and temporarily grounded to his club base.

The club revealed this week that the forward has now come back and is recovering, having also made a brief visit to a local medical facility.

“Eli’s health and wellbeing are our top concern,” stated the club's chief executive Justin Rodski. “It is great to have him back home and under the supervision of our medical staff and local specialists.”

Recovery and Rehabilitation

Rodski added that the player is improving each day and is looking forward to continuing his rehabilitation from home.

Importantly, the CEO confirmed that there is no set timeline for his return to health or a comeback to the field.

“After discussions with our doctor and neurology experts, Eli won't be back to practice during the preseason and won’t be available for the upcoming season,” Rodski declared. “He has a long road ahead ahead of him, and his primary goal will be on returning to full health before considering a potential comeback to rugby league activities.”

Rodski concluded by noting that Eli is a highly valued and respected member of our team and club, and that the entire club will support him fully and support him through his rehabilitation period.

League Investigation

The National Rugby League is currently finalizing its investigation into the events that resulted in Katoa’s surgery.

The talented player, who was named in the competition’s team of the year at the recent Dally M awards, seemed to sustain a head injury during the warm-up for the international contest.

Despite this, Katoa was allowed to play in the match and endured two more head impacts before being substituted in the later stages.

His state worsened rapidly, and he needed medical oxygen beside the field before being taken off on a medicab.

The league has sought to tackle issues around concussions in the game in recent years, implementing stricter enforcement on high tackles and lengthening the post-concussion stand down period for injured athletes.