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Melbourne Storm forward Eli Katoa has been officially ruled out the entire 2026 NRL season as he continues his recovery at home in Victoria, following coming back from a extended period in Auckland after undergoing brain surgery.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old suffered three separate head injuries during a single match while playing for Tonga in a international fixture versus the Kiwis. Subsequently, he experienced seizures while off the field, requiring urgent medical care.

A surgical procedure to address bleeding on the brain resulted in Katoa in the hospital and temporarily grounded to his club base.

The team revealed recently that Katoa has now come back and is on the mend, having also made a brief visit to a Melbourne hospital.

“Eli’s health and wellbeing are our top concern,” said Storm CEO Justin Rodski. “It is great to have him home safely and under the supervision of our medical staff and specialist physicians.”

Recovery and Rehabilitation

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

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

“After discussions with our medical team and neuro specialists, Eli won't be back to practice this pre-season and is ruled out for the upcoming season,” he emphasized. “There is a long road ahead in his recovery, and his primary goal will be on achieving complete wellness before considering a potential comeback to rugby league activities.”

Rodski finished by noting that Katoa is a much loved and respected member of our team and organization, and that the Storm family will support him fully and assist him during his rehabilitation period.

Broader Context

The NRL is currently finalizing its inquiry into the events that led to Katoa’s surgery.

The powerful forward, who was selected for the competition’s team of the year at the annual awards ceremony, appeared to suffer a concussion during the warm-up for the Pacific Championship match.

Despite this, he was cleared to participate in the game and endured two additional blows to the head before being substituted in the later stages.

Katoa’s condition 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 game in recent years, implementing crackdowns on dangerous contact and lengthening the mandatory recovery time for injured athletes.