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Melbourne Storm backrower Eli Katoa will miss the entire 2026 NRL season as he continues his recovery at home in Victoria, after coming back from a extended period in Auckland where he underwent brain surgery.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old suffered three head impacts in a single match while playing for Tonga in a international match against the Kiwis. Subsequently, he experienced seizures while off the field, requiring emergency medical attention.

A medical operation to address a brain bleed resulted in Katoa hospitalized and initially unable to travel back to Melbourne.

The team announced recently that Katoa has finally returned home and is recovering, having also made a brief visit to a Melbourne hospital.

“Eli’s health and wellbeing remain our top concern,” said Storm CEO a team official. “It is great to have him home safely and under the care of our club doctor and specialist physicians.”

Recovery and Rehabilitation

Rodski added that the player 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 comeback to the field.

“In consultation with our medical team and neuro specialists, Eli will not return to training this pre-season and won’t be available for the 2026 season,” Rodski declared. “There is a long road ahead in his recovery, and his primary goal will be on returning to full health before considering any form of return to training.”

Rodski finished by noting that Eli is a much loved and respected member of our team and club, and that the entire club will support him fully and support him through his rehabilitation period.

Broader Context

The NRL is currently finalizing its investigation into the events that led to Katoa’s surgery.

The powerful forward, who was named in the league's best lineup at the recent Dally M awards, seemed to sustain a head injury during the pregame routine for the Pacific Championship match.

Despite this, he was allowed to play in the match and endured two more head impacts before being substituted in the second half.

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

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