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Melbourne Storm forward Eli Katoa will miss the entire 2026 NRL season as he continues his recovery at home in his home state, after returning from a extended period 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 New Zealand. This led to convulsions while off the field, necessitating emergency medical attention.

A medical operation to relieve a brain bleed resulted in Katoa hospitalized and initially unable to travel to his club base.

The club announced this week that Katoa has finally returned home and is on the mend, having also been briefly admitted to a local medical facility.

“Eli’s health and wellbeing remain our number one priority,” stated Storm CEO a team official. “We are thrilled to have him back home and under the care of our medical staff and specialist physicians.”

The Road to Recovery

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

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

“After discussions with our doctor and neuro specialists, Eli will not return to practice during the preseason and won’t be available for the 2026 season,” Rodski declared. “There is a lengthy recovery process ahead of him, and his focus will be on achieving complete wellness prior to contemplating a potential comeback to rugby league activities.”

Rodski concluded by noting that Katoa is a highly valued and respected member of our team and club, and that the Storm family will support him fully and assist him during his recovery.

Broader Context

The National Rugby League is currently finalizing its investigation into the events that led to the required neurosurgery.

The talented player, who was selected for the competition’s team of the year at the recent Dally M awards, appeared to suffer a concussion during the warm-up for the international contest.

Despite this, he was allowed to play in the match and endured two additional blows to the head before coming off 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 stretcher.

The NRL has sought to tackle issues around concussions in the game in recent years, implementing stricter enforcement on high tackles and lengthening the mandatory recovery time for injured athletes.