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Melbourne Storm forward Eli Katoa has been officially ruled out the complete 2026 rugby league season as he focuses on rehabilitation at home in Victoria, after returning from a extended period in Auckland after undergoing brain surgery.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old athlete sustained three head impacts in a single afternoon while playing for the Tongan national team in a Pacific Championship fixture versus New Zealand. Subsequently, he experienced seizures while on the sideline, necessitating emergency medical attention.

A medical operation to address a brain bleed resulted in the player in the hospital and temporarily grounded back to Melbourne.

The club announced this week that Katoa has finally returned home and is recovering, having also been briefly admitted to a Melbourne hospital.

“Eli’s health and wellbeing remain our number one priority,” said Storm CEO Justin Rodski. “We are thrilled to have him home safely and under the care of our club doctor and local specialists.”

Recovery and Rehabilitation

Rodski noted that the athlete is making daily progress and is looking forward to pursuing his recovery from home.

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

“After discussions with our doctor and neuro specialists, Katoa won't be back to training during the preseason and won’t be available for the 2026 season,” he emphasized. “There is a lengthy recovery process ahead of him, and his primary goal will be on achieving complete wellness before considering any form of return to training.”

Rodski concluded by saying that Katoa is a highly valued and respected part of the squad and organization, and that the entire club will rally around him and support him through his rehabilitation period.

Broader Context

The National Rugby League is wrapping up its investigation into the events that resulted in the required neurosurgery.

The powerful forward, who was selected for 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.

However, Katoa was cleared to participate in the game and suffered two additional blows to the head before coming off in the second half.

His state deteriorated quickly, and he required oxygen on the sideline before being taken off on a medicab.

The NRL has sought to tackle concerns around head injuries in the game in recent seasons, introducing crackdowns on dangerous contact and lengthening the mandatory recovery time for injured athletes.