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Melbourne Storm forward Eli Katoa will miss the entire 2026 NRL season as he focuses on rehabilitation at home in his home state, following returning from a prolonged stay in Auckland after undergoing a neurosurgical procedure.

What Happened

The 25-year-old athlete suffered three separate head injuries during 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 surgical procedure to relieve bleeding on the brain resulted in Katoa in the hospital and initially unable to travel to his club base.

The team announced this week that Katoa has now come back and is recovering, having also made a brief visit to a local medical facility.

“His health and recovery are our top concern,” said the club's chief executive Justin Rodski. “We are thrilled to have him back home and under the care of our medical staff and local specialists.”

The Road to Recovery

Rodski noted that the athlete is improving each day and is looking forward to pursuing his recovery in a home environment.

Importantly, the executive stated that there is no timeframe for Katoa’s recovery or a comeback to the field.

“In consultation with our medical team and neuro specialists, Eli will not return to training this pre-season 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 saying that Eli is a much loved and respected part of the squad and club, and that the Storm family will rally around him and support him through his rehabilitation period.

League Investigation

The National Rugby League is wrapping up its investigation into the circumstances that resulted in Katoa’s surgery.

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 Pacific Championship match.

Despite this, he was cleared to participate in the match and suffered two additional blows to the head before coming off 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 sought to tackle concerns around head injuries in the game in recent seasons, implementing crackdowns on high tackles and expanding the post-concussion stand down period for injured athletes.