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Melbourne Storm backrower Eli Katoa will miss the entire 2026 NRL season as he focuses on rehabilitation at home in Victoria, after coming back from a extended period in New Zealand after undergoing a neurosurgical procedure.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old athlete sustained three separate head injuries in a single afternoon while playing for Tonga in a Pacific Championship fixture against the Kiwis. This led to seizures while on the sideline, necessitating urgent medical care.

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

The team revealed this week that the forward has now come back and is recovering, having also made a brief visit to a local medical facility.

“Eli’s health and wellbeing are our number one priority,” stated Storm CEO Justin Rodski. “We are thrilled to have him back home and under the care of our medical staff and specialist physicians.”

The Road to Recovery

Rodski noted that the athlete is making daily progress and is eager to continuing his rehabilitation in a home environment.

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

“After discussions with our medical team and neurology experts, Eli will not return to practice during the preseason and won’t be available for the 2026 season,” Rodski declared. “He has a long road ahead ahead of him, and his primary goal will be on returning to full health before considering a potential comeback to training.”

Rodski finished by noting that Eli is a much loved and respected part of the squad and club, and that the Storm family will rally around him and assist him during his rehabilitation period.

Broader Context

The NRL 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 annual awards ceremony, seemed to sustain a head injury during the warm-up for the Pacific Championship match.

However, Katoa was allowed to play in the game and suffered two more head impacts before being substituted in the later stages.

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

The league has sought to tackle issues around head injuries in the game in recent years, introducing crackdowns on high tackles and lengthening the mandatory recovery time for affected players.