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Melbourne Storm backrower Eli Katoa will miss the entire 2026 NRL season as he continues his recovery at home in Victoria, following coming back from a prolonged stay in Auckland after undergoing a neurosurgical procedure.

What Happened

The 25-year-old sustained three separate head injuries during a single afternoon while representing the Tongan national team in a international fixture against the Kiwis. This led to convulsions while on the sideline, requiring emergency medical attention.

A medical operation to relieve bleeding on the brain left Katoa hospitalized and temporarily grounded back to Melbourne.

The team revealed this week that the forward has now come back and is recovering, having also made a brief visit to a Melbourne hospital.

“Eli’s health and wellbeing remain our top concern,” said the club's chief executive a team official. “We are thrilled to have him back home and under the care of our medical staff and local specialists.”

Recovery and Rehabilitation

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

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

“After discussions with our medical team and neurology experts, Katoa will not return to training this pre-season and won’t be available for the upcoming season,” Rodski declared. “There is a lengthy recovery process in his recovery, and his focus will be on achieving complete wellness before considering any form of return to training.”

Rodski finished by noting that Katoa is a much loved and respected member of our team and organization, and that the Storm family will rally around him and support him through his recovery.

League Investigation

The National Rugby League is currently finalizing its inquiry into the events that resulted in the required neurosurgery.

The talented player, who was named in 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.

However, Katoa was allowed to play in the game and endured two additional blows to the head before coming off in the later stages.

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

The league has sought to tackle concerns around concussions in the game in recent seasons, introducing stricter enforcement on high tackles and expanding the post-concussion stand down period for injured athletes.