🔗 Share this article

The Storm backrower Eli Katoa has been officially ruled out the complete 2026 rugby league season as he focuses on rehabilitation at home in Victoria, after returning from a extended period in Auckland where he underwent brain surgery.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old suffered three head impacts during a single afternoon while playing for Tonga in a international fixture against New Zealand. This led to convulsions while off the field, necessitating emergency medical attention.

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

The club revealed recently that Katoa has finally returned home and is on the mend, having also made a brief visit to a local medical facility.

“Eli’s health and wellbeing are our top concern,” stated the club's chief executive a team official. “It is great to have him home safely and under the care of our club doctor and local specialists.”

Recovery and Rehabilitation

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

Importantly, the executive stated 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 practice this pre-season and won’t be available for the 2026 season,” Rodski declared. “There is a long road ahead ahead of him, and his primary goal will be on achieving complete wellness prior to contemplating any form of return to rugby league activities.”

Rodski finished by noting that Eli is a highly valued and respected part of the squad and club, and that the Storm family will rally around him and assist him during his rehabilitation period.

League Investigation

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

The powerful forward, who was selected for the competition’s team of the year at the recent Dally M awards, appeared to suffer a head injury during the pregame routine for the Pacific Championship match.

Despite this, Katoa was allowed to play in the match and suffered two additional blows to the head before being substituted in the second half.

Katoa’s condition deteriorated quickly, and he needed medical oxygen on the sideline before being taken off on a stretcher.

The NRL has attempted to address concerns around head injuries in the sport in recent years, implementing crackdowns on dangerous contact and expanding the post-concussion stand down period for injured athletes.