🔗 Share this article

The Storm forward Eli Katoa has been officially ruled out the entire 2026 rugby league season as he continues his recovery at home in his home state, after coming back 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 match while playing for the Tongan national team in a Pacific Championship match against New Zealand. This led to seizures while off the field, necessitating emergency medical attention.

A surgical procedure to address a brain bleed left the player hospitalized and initially unable to travel to his club base.

The team revealed recently that Katoa 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 the club's chief executive a team official. “We are thrilled to have him back home and under the care of our club doctor and specialist physicians.”

The Road to Recovery

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

However, the CEO stated that there is no timeframe for his return to health or a potential return to training.

“After discussions with our doctor and neurology experts, Eli won't be back to practice this pre-season and is ruled out for the 2026 season,” Rodski declared. “He has a long road ahead 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 Eli is a highly valued and respected part of the squad and organization, and that the entire club will support him fully and support him through his rehabilitation period.

League Investigation

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

The powerful forward, who was selected for the league's best lineup at the recent Dally M awards, appeared to suffer a head injury during the warm-up for the Pacific Championship match.

Despite this, Katoa was cleared to participate in the match and suffered two additional blows to the head before coming off in the second half.

Katoa’s condition worsened rapidly, and he required oxygen beside the field before being removed from the field on a medicab.

The league has attempted to address issues around head injuries in the game in recent seasons, introducing crackdowns on dangerous contact and expanding the mandatory recovery time for affected players.