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Melbourne Storm forward Eli Katoa has been officially ruled out the complete 2026 rugby league season as he focuses on rehabilitation at home in his home state, after returning from a prolonged stay in New Zealand where he underwent brain surgery.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old suffered three head impacts during a single match while representing the Tongan national team in a international fixture against New Zealand. This led to convulsions while off the field, requiring urgent medical care.

A medical operation to relieve bleeding on the brain left Katoa in the hospital and temporarily grounded back to Melbourne.

The club revealed this week that the forward has finally returned home and is on the mend, having also been briefly admitted to a Melbourne hospital.

“His health and recovery remain our top concern,” said Storm CEO a team official. “It is great to have him home safely and under the supervision of our medical staff and local specialists.”

The Road to Recovery

Rodski added that the player is improving each day and is looking forward to pursuing his recovery in a home environment.

Importantly, the executive confirmed that there is no set timeline for Katoa’s recovery or a comeback to the field.

“In consultation with our doctor and neuro specialists, Eli will not return to training during the preseason and is ruled out for the upcoming season,” he emphasized. “He has a lengthy recovery process in his recovery, 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 part of the squad and club, and that the Storm family will rally around him and support him through his rehabilitation period.

Broader Context

The NRL is currently finalizing its investigation into the circumstances that resulted in Katoa’s surgery.

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

Despite this, he was cleared to participate in the match and suffered two additional blows to the head before coming off in the later stages.

His state worsened rapidly, and he needed medical oxygen beside the field before being removed from the field on a medicab.

The NRL has attempted to address concerns around concussions in the sport in recent years, implementing stricter enforcement on dangerous contact and lengthening the mandatory recovery time for affected players.