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The Storm backrower Eli Katoa will miss the entire 2026 rugby league season as he continues his recovery at home in Victoria, following returning from a extended period in New Zealand where he underwent a neurosurgical procedure.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old suffered three separate head injuries in a single afternoon while representing the Tongan national team in a international fixture versus the Kiwis. Subsequently, he experienced seizures while on the sideline, requiring urgent medical care.

A medical operation to relieve bleeding on the brain resulted in Katoa hospitalized and initially unable to travel back to Melbourne.

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

“Eli’s health and wellbeing remain our top concern,” stated Storm CEO Justin Rodski. “It is great to have him back home and under the care of our club doctor and specialist physicians.”

Recovery and Rehabilitation

Rodski added that the athlete is making daily progress and is looking forward to continuing his rehabilitation in a home environment.

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

“In consultation with our doctor and neuro specialists, Eli will not return to training this pre-season and is ruled out for the 2026 season,” he emphasized. “He has a lengthy recovery process in his recovery, and his focus 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 member of our team and organization, and that the entire club will rally around him and assist him during his recovery.

League Investigation

The NRL is currently finalizing its investigation 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 annual awards ceremony, seemed to sustain a head injury during the warm-up for the Pacific Championship match.

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

His state worsened rapidly, and he required oxygen on the sideline before being taken off on a medicab.

The league has sought to tackle issues around head injuries in the game in recent years, introducing stricter enforcement on dangerous contact and lengthening the mandatory recovery time for injured athletes.