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Melbourne Storm forward Eli Katoa has been officially ruled out the entire 2026 NRL season as he focuses on rehabilitation at home in his home state, following coming back from a prolonged stay in Auckland after undergoing a neurosurgical procedure.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old sustained three head impacts during a single match while playing for the Tongan national team in a Pacific Championship match against the Kiwis. This led to convulsions while on the sideline, necessitating urgent medical care.

A medical operation to relieve a brain bleed resulted in Katoa hospitalized and initially unable to travel back to Melbourne.

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

“His health and recovery are our number one priority,” stated Storm CEO Justin Rodski. “It is great to have him back home and under the care of our medical staff and specialist physicians.”

Recovery and Rehabilitation

Rodski noted that the athlete is making daily progress and is looking forward to pursuing his recovery in a home environment.

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

“After discussions with our doctor and neuro specialists, Katoa won't be back to practice this pre-season and won’t be available for the 2026 season,” he emphasized. “There is a long road ahead in his recovery, and his focus 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 member of our team and organization, and that the Storm family will rally around him and support him through his recovery.

Broader Context

The National Rugby League is currently finalizing 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 warm-up for the Pacific Championship match.

Despite this, he was allowed to play in the match and suffered two additional blows to the head before being substituted in the later stages.

His state worsened rapidly, and he needed medical oxygen on the sideline before being removed from the field on a stretcher.

The NRL has attempted to address issues around head injuries in the sport in recent years, introducing crackdowns on high tackles and expanding the post-concussion stand down period for injured athletes.