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Melbourne Storm backrower Eli Katoa has been officially ruled out the entire 2026 NRL season as he continues his recovery at home in his home state, after coming back from a extended period in Auckland after undergoing brain surgery.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old athlete sustained three separate head injuries during a single afternoon while playing for Tonga in a Pacific Championship match against New Zealand. This led to convulsions while off the field, necessitating emergency medical attention.

A medical operation to relieve bleeding on the brain left the player in the hospital and temporarily grounded to his club base.

The club announced recently that Katoa 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,” said Storm CEO a team official. “It is great to have him home safely and under the supervision of our medical staff and local specialists.”

The Road to Recovery

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

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

“In consultation with our medical team and neuro specialists, Eli will not return to training during the preseason and won’t be available for the 2026 season,” Rodski declared. “He has a lengthy recovery process ahead of him, and his focus will be on returning to full health before considering a potential comeback to training.”

Rodski finished by saying that Katoa is a highly valued and respected member of our team and organization, and that the Storm family will support him fully and support him through his rehabilitation period.

League Investigation

The National Rugby League is currently finalizing its inquiry into the circumstances that led to Katoa’s surgery.

The talented player, who was named in the league's best lineup at the annual awards ceremony, appeared to suffer a head injury during the pregame routine for the Pacific Championship match.

Despite this, Katoa was allowed to play in the match and endured two more head impacts before being substituted in the second half.

Katoa’s condition worsened rapidly, 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 head injuries in the game in recent years, implementing crackdowns on dangerous contact and lengthening the post-concussion stand down period for affected players.