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Melbourne Storm backrower Eli Katoa has been officially ruled out the complete 2026 rugby league season as he continues his recovery at home in his home state, following returning from a extended period in Auckland where he underwent brain surgery.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old athlete sustained three separate head injuries in a single match while playing for Tonga in a international fixture against New Zealand. This led to seizures while on the sideline, necessitating urgent medical care.

A medical operation to address a brain bleed resulted in the player in the hospital and initially unable to travel back to Melbourne.

The club revealed recently that Katoa has finally returned home and is recovering, having also been briefly admitted to a local medical facility.

“His health and recovery remain our top concern,” stated the club's chief executive a team official. “We are thrilled to have him back home and under the supervision of our medical staff and specialist physicians.”

Recovery and Rehabilitation

Rodski noted that the player is making daily progress and is looking forward to pursuing his recovery in a home environment.

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

“In consultation with our doctor and neuro specialists, Katoa will not return to practice this pre-season and won’t be available for the upcoming season,” he emphasized. “He has a lengthy recovery process ahead of him, and his primary goal will be on achieving complete wellness prior to contemplating a potential comeback to training.”

Rodski finished by saying that Katoa is a highly valued and respected member of our team and organization, and that the entire club will rally around him and assist him during his recovery.

League Investigation

The National Rugby League is wrapping up its inquiry into the events that resulted in the required neurosurgery.

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 pregame routine for the international contest.

Despite this, he was cleared to participate in the match and endured two additional blows to the head before coming off in the second half.

His state worsened rapidly, and he needed medical oxygen on the sideline before being removed from the field on a stretcher.

The NRL has attempted to address issues around head injuries in the game in recent years, introducing crackdowns on high tackles and lengthening the post-concussion stand down period for injured athletes.