🔗 Share this article

The Storm forward Eli Katoa has been officially ruled out the complete 2026 rugby league season as he continues his recovery 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 suffered three head impacts during a single afternoon while playing for the Tongan national team in a Pacific Championship fixture versus the Kiwis. This led to seizures while off the field, necessitating emergency medical attention.

A surgical procedure to relieve bleeding on the brain resulted in Katoa hospitalized and temporarily grounded to his club base.

The team revealed recently that the forward has now come back and is on the mend, having also been briefly admitted to a local medical facility.

“His health and recovery are our number one priority,” stated the club's chief executive a team official. “It is great to have him back home and under the care of our medical staff and specialist physicians.”

The Road to Recovery

Rodski added that the player is making daily progress and is looking forward to pursuing his recovery in a home environment.

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

“After discussions with our medical team and neuro specialists, Eli will not return to training during the preseason and is ruled out for the upcoming season,” he emphasized. “There is a lengthy recovery process ahead of him, and his focus will be on achieving complete wellness before considering any form of return to training.”

Rodski finished by saying that Eli is a much loved and respected member of our team and organization, and that the Storm family will support him fully and support him through his recovery.

League Investigation

The NRL is wrapping up its investigation into the events that resulted in the required neurosurgery.

The powerful forward, who was selected for the competition’s team of the year at the annual awards ceremony, appeared to suffer a head injury during the warm-up for the international contest.

Despite this, he was cleared to participate in the game and endured two more head impacts before coming off in the second half.

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

The league has sought to tackle issues around head injuries in the sport in recent years, implementing stricter enforcement on high tackles and expanding the mandatory recovery time for affected players.