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Melbourne Storm backrower Eli Katoa has been officially ruled out the complete 2026 NRL 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 sustained three head impacts in a single afternoon while playing for the Tongan national team in a Pacific Championship match versus the Kiwis. This led to convulsions while off the field, requiring urgent medical care.

A surgical procedure to address a brain bleed left the player hospitalized and initially unable to travel back to Melbourne.

The team announced this week that the forward has finally returned home and is on the mend, having also been briefly admitted to a local medical facility.

“Eli’s health and wellbeing are our top concern,” stated Storm CEO a team official. “We are thrilled to have him back home 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 pursuing his recovery from home.

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

“In consultation with our medical team and neuro specialists, Katoa will not return to practice during the preseason and won’t be available for the 2026 season,” he emphasized. “He has a lengthy recovery process ahead of him, and his primary goal will be on achieving complete wellness before considering a potential comeback to training.”

Rodski concluded by noting that Katoa is a highly valued and respected part of the squad 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 wrapping up its inquiry into the circumstances that resulted in Katoa’s surgery.

The talented player, who was named in the competition’s team of the year at the recent Dally M awards, appeared to suffer a head injury during the warm-up for the international contest.

However, Katoa was cleared to participate in the match and suffered two more head impacts before coming off in the second half.

His state 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 concussions in the sport in recent years, introducing crackdowns on dangerous contact and expanding the mandatory recovery time for injured athletes.