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

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old athlete suffered three separate head injuries in a single afternoon while playing for Tonga in a international fixture versus the Kiwis. Subsequently, he experienced convulsions while on the sideline, requiring emergency medical attention.

A surgical procedure to address bleeding on the brain left the player in the hospital and temporarily grounded back to Melbourne.

The club revealed recently that Katoa has now come back and is on the mend, having also been briefly admitted to a Melbourne hospital.

“His health and recovery remain our top concern,” said Storm CEO 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 player is making daily progress and is looking forward to pursuing his recovery from home.

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

“In consultation with our doctor and neurology experts, Katoa won't be back to training this pre-season and won’t be available for the 2026 season,” he emphasized. “He has a long road ahead in his recovery, and his focus will be on returning to full health before considering a potential comeback to rugby league activities.”

Rodski finished by noting that Katoa is a highly valued and respected member of our team and club, and that the entire club will support him fully and support him through his recovery.

League Investigation

The NRL is currently finalizing its investigation into the events that led to the required neurosurgery.

The powerful forward, who was named in the competition’s team of the year at the recent Dally M awards, appeared to suffer a concussion during the warm-up for the Pacific Championship match.

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

Katoa’s condition worsened rapidly, and he needed medical oxygen beside the field before being taken off on a medicab.

The league has attempted to address issues around head injuries in the game in recent years, implementing crackdowns on high tackles and lengthening the mandatory recovery time for affected players.