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

What Happened

The 25-year-old athlete suffered three head impacts during a single match while playing for the Tongan national team in a international match versus the Kiwis. This led to convulsions while on the sideline, requiring urgent medical care.

A surgical procedure to address a brain bleed left the player hospitalized and initially unable to travel to his club base.

The team revealed recently that Katoa has now come back and is recovering, having also made a brief visit to a local medical facility.

“His health and recovery are our number one priority,” stated the club's chief executive a team official. “We are thrilled to have him home safely and under the care of our club doctor and local specialists.”

Recovery and Rehabilitation

Rodski added that the player is improving each day and is looking forward to continuing his rehabilitation from home.

Importantly, the CEO stated that there is no timeframe for his return to health or a potential return to training.

“In consultation with our doctor and neurology experts, Eli won't be back to training 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 rugby league activities.”

Rodski finished by saying that Eli is a highly valued and respected member of our team and club, and that the Storm family will support him fully and support him through his recovery.

League Investigation

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

The powerful forward, who was named in the league's best lineup at the annual awards ceremony, appeared to suffer a head injury during the warm-up for the Pacific Championship match.

Despite this, Katoa was allowed to play in the game and suffered two additional blows to the head before coming off in the later stages.

Katoa’s condition deteriorated quickly, and he required oxygen on the sideline before being taken off on a medicab.

The league has attempted to address concerns around concussions in the sport in recent years, introducing crackdowns on dangerous contact and expanding the post-concussion stand down period for affected players.