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Melbourne Storm forward Eli Katoa will miss the complete 2026 rugby league season as he focuses on rehabilitation at home in Victoria, after returning from a prolonged stay in Auckland where he underwent brain surgery.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old athlete sustained three separate head injuries during a single match while playing for the Tongan national team in a Pacific Championship match versus New Zealand. Subsequently, he experienced convulsions while on the sideline, necessitating urgent medical care.

A medical operation to address bleeding on the brain resulted in Katoa in the hospital and temporarily grounded to his club base.

The club revealed this week that the forward has now come back and is recovering, having also made a brief visit to a local medical facility.

“Eli’s health and wellbeing are our number one priority,” said Storm CEO 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 noted that the athlete is making daily progress and is eager to pursuing his recovery from home.

Importantly, the CEO confirmed that there is no timeframe for Katoa’s recovery or a comeback to the field.

“In consultation with our medical team and neurology experts, Katoa won't be back 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 primary goal will be on returning to full health before considering any form of return to rugby league activities.”

Rodski finished by noting that Katoa is a much loved and respected part of the squad and organization, and that the Storm family will rally around him and assist him during his rehabilitation period.

League Investigation

The NRL is currently finalizing its investigation into the events that led to Katoa’s surgery.

The powerful forward, who was selected for the competition’s team of the year at the recent Dally M awards, seemed to sustain a head injury during the warm-up for the international contest.

Despite this, he 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 beside the field before being removed from the field on a stretcher.

The NRL has sought to tackle concerns around concussions in the game in recent seasons, introducing crackdowns on dangerous contact and lengthening the mandatory recovery time for affected players.