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The Storm backrower Eli Katoa will miss the entire 2026 NRL season as he continues his recovery at home in his home state, following coming back from a extended period in Auckland after undergoing brain surgery.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old athlete suffered three separate head injuries during a single match while playing for Tonga in a Pacific Championship fixture versus the Kiwis. This led to convulsions while on the sideline, necessitating emergency medical attention.

A medical operation to address bleeding on the brain left Katoa hospitalized and initially unable to travel to his club base.

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

“His health and recovery remain our top concern,” stated the club's chief executive a team official. “It is great to have him home safely and under the supervision of our medical staff and specialist physicians.”

Recovery and Rehabilitation

Rodski added that the athlete is improving each day and is looking forward to pursuing his recovery from home.

However, the CEO stated that there is no set timeline for Katoa’s recovery or a comeback to the field.

“After discussions with our medical team and neuro specialists, Katoa won't be back to training this pre-season and won’t be available for the upcoming season,” he emphasized. “He has a long road ahead in his recovery, and his primary goal will be on achieving complete wellness before considering a potential comeback to rugby league activities.”

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

Broader Context

The National Rugby League is wrapping up its inquiry into the circumstances that led to the required neurosurgery.

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

Despite this, Katoa was allowed to play in the match and endured two additional blows to the head before coming off in the second half.

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 concussions in the sport in recent seasons, implementing crackdowns on high tackles and lengthening the post-concussion stand down period for injured athletes.