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The Storm forward Eli Katoa will miss the complete 2026 NRL season as he focuses on rehabilitation at home in his home state, after coming back from a extended period in New Zealand where he underwent brain surgery.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old athlete suffered three separate head injuries in a single afternoon while representing Tonga in a international match versus the Kiwis. Subsequently, he experienced seizures while off the field, necessitating urgent medical care.

A medical operation to address a brain bleed resulted in the player hospitalized and temporarily grounded to his club base.

The club announced this week that the forward has finally returned home and is recovering, having also made a brief visit to a Melbourne hospital.

“His health and recovery are our number one priority,” stated Storm CEO a team official. “We are thrilled to have him back home and under the care of our medical staff and specialist physicians.”

Recovery and Rehabilitation

Rodski noted that the athlete is improving each day and is eager to continuing his rehabilitation from home.

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

“In consultation with our medical team and neuro specialists, Eli will not return to training during the preseason and won’t be available for the upcoming season,” Rodski declared. “He has a lengthy recovery process ahead of him, and his focus will be on achieving complete wellness prior to contemplating a potential comeback to rugby league activities.”

Rodski finished by noting 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 rehabilitation period.

League Investigation

The NRL 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 recent Dally M awards, appeared to suffer a concussion during the pregame routine for the international contest.

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

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

The league has sought to tackle issues around concussions in the sport in recent years, introducing stricter enforcement on dangerous contact and expanding the mandatory recovery time for injured athletes.