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Melbourne Storm backrower Eli Katoa has been officially ruled out the complete 2026 NRL season as he focuses on rehabilitation at home in Victoria, after returning from a extended period 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 Tonga in a Pacific Championship fixture against New Zealand. This led to convulsions while on the sideline, requiring urgent medical care.

A surgical procedure to relieve bleeding on the brain resulted in Katoa in the hospital and temporarily grounded back to Melbourne.

The team revealed this week that the forward has now come back and is on the mend, having also been briefly admitted to a Melbourne hospital.

“Eli’s health and wellbeing remain our number one priority,” said the club's chief executive a team official. “It is great to have him back home and under the care of our club doctor and local specialists.”

The Road to Recovery

Rodski added that the athlete is improving each day and is eager to continuing his rehabilitation in a home environment.

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

“In consultation with our doctor and neurology experts, Eli will not return to practice during the preseason and is ruled out for the upcoming season,” Rodski declared. “There is a lengthy recovery process ahead of him, and his primary goal will be on returning to full health before considering any form of return to rugby league activities.”

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

Broader Context

The National Rugby League is currently finalizing its investigation into the events that led to Katoa’s surgery.

The talented player, who was named in 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 international contest.

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

His state deteriorated quickly, and he required oxygen on the sideline before being removed from the field on a medicab.

The NRL has sought to tackle concerns around concussions in the sport in recent seasons, introducing stricter enforcement on high tackles and lengthening the mandatory recovery time for injured athletes.