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The Storm forward Eli Katoa will miss the entire 2026 NRL season as he continues his recovery at home in his home state, after returning from a prolonged stay in Auckland after undergoing a neurosurgical procedure.

What Happened

The 25-year-old suffered three head impacts in a single afternoon while playing for the Tongan national team in a Pacific Championship fixture against New Zealand. This led to seizures while on the sideline, necessitating urgent medical care.

A surgical procedure to relieve a brain bleed left the player in the hospital and temporarily grounded back to Melbourne.

The team announced recently that Katoa has finally returned home and is on the mend, having also been briefly admitted to a local medical facility.

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

Recovery and Rehabilitation

Rodski noted that the player is making daily progress and is looking forward to continuing his rehabilitation in a home environment.

However, the CEO stated that there is no timeframe for his return to health or a potential return to training.

“In consultation with our doctor and neurology experts, Eli won't be back to practice this pre-season and is ruled out for the upcoming season,” he emphasized. “There is a lengthy recovery process ahead of him, and his primary goal will be on achieving complete wellness prior to contemplating a potential comeback to training.”

Rodski concluded by noting that Eli is a highly valued and respected part of the squad and organization, and that the entire club will support him fully and assist him during his rehabilitation period.

League Investigation

The NRL is currently finalizing its investigation into the circumstances that led to Katoa’s surgery.

The powerful forward, who was selected for the competition’s team of the year at the recent Dally M awards, appeared to suffer a concussion during the pregame routine for the Pacific Championship match.

Despite this, Katoa was cleared to participate in the match and endured two additional blows to the head before being substituted in the second half.

His state deteriorated quickly, and he needed medical oxygen on the sideline before being taken off on a medicab.

The NRL has attempted to address concerns around head injuries in the game in recent seasons, implementing crackdowns on high tackles and expanding the mandatory recovery time for injured athletes.