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Melbourne Storm backrower Eli Katoa will miss the complete 2026 NRL season as he continues his recovery at home in his home state, after returning from a prolonged stay in New Zealand where he underwent brain surgery.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old athlete sustained three head impacts in a single afternoon while playing for Tonga in a Pacific Championship fixture versus the Kiwis. This led to convulsions while off the field, necessitating urgent medical care.

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

The team announced recently that the forward has finally returned home and is recovering, having also made a brief visit to a local medical facility.

“His health and recovery are our number one priority,” stated the club's chief executive a team official. “It is great to have him back home and under the supervision of our club doctor and local specialists.”

Recovery and Rehabilitation

Rodski added that the athlete is improving each day and is eager to pursuing his recovery from home.

However, the executive stated 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 training this pre-season and won’t be available for the upcoming season,” Rodski declared. “He has a long road ahead ahead of him, and his focus will be on achieving complete wellness before considering any form of return to rugby league activities.”

Rodski finished by noting that Eli is a highly valued and respected part of the squad and club, and that the Storm family will rally around him and assist him during his recovery.

Broader Context

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

The powerful forward, who was named in the competition’s team of the year at the recent Dally M awards, appeared to suffer a concussion during the pregame routine for the Pacific Championship match.

However, he was allowed to play in the match and suffered two additional blows to the head before being substituted in the later stages.

Katoa’s condition worsened rapidly, and he needed medical oxygen beside the field before being taken off on a medicab.

The league has sought to tackle issues around concussions in the game in recent years, implementing stricter enforcement on high tackles and lengthening the post-concussion stand down period for affected players.