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The Storm forward Eli Katoa has been officially ruled out the entire 2026 NRL season as he focuses on rehabilitation at home in Victoria, following returning from a prolonged stay in New Zealand after undergoing brain surgery.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old sustained three head impacts in a single afternoon while representing Tonga in a Pacific Championship match against New Zealand. This led to seizures while on the sideline, necessitating urgent medical care.

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

The club announced recently that Katoa has now come back and is recovering, having also been briefly admitted to a local medical facility.

“Eli’s health and wellbeing remain our number one priority,” said Storm CEO Justin Rodski. “It is great to have him home safely and under the supervision of our medical staff and local specialists.”

Recovery and Rehabilitation

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

Importantly, the CEO confirmed that there is no timeframe for Katoa’s recovery or a comeback to the field.

“In consultation with our doctor and neurology experts, Katoa won't be back to training this pre-season and won’t be available for the 2026 season,” Rodski declared. “There is a lengthy recovery process ahead of him, and his focus will be on achieving complete wellness prior to contemplating any form of return to rugby league activities.”

Rodski concluded by noting that Katoa is a highly valued and respected member of our team and club, and that the Storm family will rally around him and assist him during his rehabilitation period.

League Investigation

The NRL is currently finalizing its investigation into the events that led to the required neurosurgery.

The powerful forward, who was named in the competition’s team of the year at the annual awards ceremony, seemed to sustain a head injury during the pregame routine for the international contest.

However, Katoa was cleared to participate in the match and suffered 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 attempted to address issues around concussions in the game in recent seasons, implementing crackdowns on dangerous contact and expanding the post-concussion stand down period for affected players.