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The Storm forward Eli Katoa will miss the complete 2026 rugby league season as he continues his recovery at home in Victoria, following returning from a prolonged stay in New Zealand where he underwent brain surgery.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old athlete suffered three head impacts during a single afternoon while representing the Tongan national team in a Pacific Championship match against New Zealand. This led to seizures while off the field, necessitating emergency medical attention.

A surgical procedure to relieve a brain bleed left the player in the hospital and temporarily grounded to his club base.

The team announced this week that the forward has now come back and is recovering, having also been briefly admitted to a local medical facility.

“His health and recovery are our top concern,” stated Storm CEO a team official. “It is great to have him back home and under the supervision of our club doctor and specialist physicians.”

Recovery and Rehabilitation

Rodski added that the athlete is making daily progress and is eager to pursuing his recovery from home.

However, the executive confirmed that there is no set timeline for his return to health or a potential return to training.

“In consultation with our doctor and neurology experts, Katoa won't be back to practice during the preseason and won’t be available for the upcoming season,” he emphasized. “There is a lengthy recovery process 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 Katoa is a highly valued and respected part of the squad and organization, and that the entire club will rally around him and assist him during his rehabilitation period.

League Investigation

The National Rugby League is currently finalizing its inquiry into the events that led to the required neurosurgery.

The powerful forward, who was selected for the competition’s team of the year at the recent Dally M awards, seemed to sustain a head injury during the warm-up for the Pacific Championship match.

Despite this, Katoa was cleared to participate in the game and endured 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 taken off on a medicab.

The NRL has sought to tackle concerns around concussions in the game in recent seasons, implementing crackdowns on dangerous contact and expanding the mandatory recovery time for affected players.