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The Storm backrower Eli Katoa will miss the entire 2026 NRL season as he continues his recovery at home in Victoria, following coming back from a prolonged stay in Auckland 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 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 left the player hospitalized and temporarily grounded to his club base.

The team revealed this week that Katoa has finally returned home and is on the mend, having also been briefly admitted to a local medical facility.

“His health and recovery remain our top concern,” said Storm CEO a team official. “We are thrilled to have him home safely and under the care of our club doctor and specialist physicians.”

Recovery and Rehabilitation

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

Importantly, the CEO stated that there is no set timeline 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 practice this pre-season and won’t be available for the upcoming season,” he emphasized. “There is a lengthy recovery process in his recovery, and his primary goal will be on achieving complete wellness prior to contemplating a potential comeback to rugby league activities.”

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

League Investigation

The NRL is wrapping up its investigation into the circumstances that led to Katoa’s surgery.

The powerful forward, who was selected for the league's best lineup at the recent Dally M awards, appeared to suffer a head injury during the warm-up for the Pacific Championship match.

Despite this, Katoa was allowed to play in the match and suffered two additional blows to the head before coming off in the second half.

Katoa’s condition worsened rapidly, and he required oxygen on the sideline before being removed from the field on a medicab.

The NRL has attempted to address issues around concussions in the sport in recent seasons, implementing crackdowns on high tackles and expanding the mandatory recovery time for injured athletes.