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The Storm backrower Eli Katoa will miss the entire 2026 NRL season as he focuses on rehabilitation at home in Victoria, following returning from a prolonged stay in Auckland after undergoing brain surgery.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old athlete sustained three head impacts in a single match while representing the Tongan national team in a international match against New Zealand. This led to seizures while on the sideline, requiring urgent medical care.

A surgical procedure to address bleeding on the brain left the player in the hospital and initially unable to travel back to Melbourne.

The team revealed recently that Katoa has now come back and is recovering, having also been briefly admitted to a Melbourne hospital.

“His health and recovery are our top concern,” stated Storm CEO a team official. “It is great to have him back home and under the care of our club doctor and specialist physicians.”

The Road to Recovery

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

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

“After discussions with our medical team and neuro specialists, Eli won't be back to practice this pre-season and is ruled out for the upcoming season,” he emphasized. “There is a long road ahead in his recovery, and his focus will be on achieving complete wellness prior to contemplating any form of return to rugby league activities.”

Rodski concluded by noting that Katoa is a much loved and respected part of the squad and club, and that the Storm family will support him fully and assist him during his recovery.

League Investigation

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

The powerful forward, who was selected for the competition’s team of the year at the annual awards ceremony, seemed to sustain a concussion during the warm-up for the international contest.

Despite this, Katoa was cleared to participate in the match and endured 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 removed from the field on a medicab.

The NRL has attempted to address concerns around concussions in the game in recent seasons, introducing crackdowns on high tackles and expanding the post-concussion stand down period for affected players.