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The Storm backrower Eli Katoa will miss the entire 2026 NRL season as he continues his recovery at home in his home state, following coming back from a extended period in Auckland after undergoing brain surgery.

Sequence of Events

The 25-year-old athlete sustained three separate head injuries in a single afternoon while representing the Tongan national team in a Pacific Championship fixture against the Kiwis. This led to convulsions while on the sideline, requiring urgent medical care.

A medical operation to relieve a brain bleed resulted in the player hospitalized and temporarily grounded back to Melbourne.

The team revealed this week that the forward has finally returned home and is on the mend, having also made a brief visit to a Melbourne hospital.

“Eli’s health and wellbeing remain our number one priority,” stated Storm CEO Justin Rodski. “We are thrilled to have him home safely and under the supervision of our club doctor and specialist physicians.”

Recovery and Rehabilitation

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

However, 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, Eli will not return to training during the preseason and won’t be available for the 2026 season,” Rodski declared. “He has a lengthy recovery process in his recovery, and his primary goal will be on returning to full health prior to contemplating any form of return to rugby league activities.”

Rodski finished by noting that Katoa is a highly valued and respected part of the squad and organization, and that the Storm family will rally around him and assist him during his rehabilitation period.

Broader Context

The NRL is currently finalizing its inquiry into the circumstances that resulted in Katoa’s surgery.

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

Despite this, Katoa was allowed to play in the game and suffered two more head impacts before being substituted in the later stages.

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

The league has attempted to address issues around head injuries in the sport in recent seasons, implementing crackdowns on dangerous contact and expanding the post-concussion stand down period for affected players.