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Melbourne Storm forward Eli Katoa has been officially ruled out the complete 2026 rugby league season as he continues his recovery at home in Victoria, following coming back from a extended period in New Zealand after undergoing brain surgery.

Sequence of Events

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

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

The club revealed recently that Katoa has finally returned home and is recovering, having also been briefly admitted to a local medical facility.

“His health and recovery are our number one priority,” stated Storm CEO a team official. “We are thrilled to have him home safely and under the supervision of our club doctor and local specialists.”

Recovery and Rehabilitation

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

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

“After discussions with our medical team and neurology experts, Eli won't be back to training this pre-season and won’t be available for the upcoming season,” he emphasized. “He has a long road ahead ahead of him, and his focus will be on achieving complete wellness prior to contemplating any form of return to rugby league activities.”

Rodski concluded by saying that Eli 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 rehabilitation period.

Broader Context

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

The powerful forward, who was named in the competition’s team of the year at the recent Dally M awards, appeared to suffer a concussion during the pregame routine for the international contest.

However, he was allowed to play in the match and endured two more head impacts before coming off in the second half.

Katoa’s condition deteriorated quickly, and he needed medical oxygen beside the field before being removed from the field on a medicab.

The NRL has attempted to address issues around concussions in the game in recent years, introducing crackdowns on dangerous contact and expanding the post-concussion stand down period for injured athletes.