Melbourne Storm have provided an update on star forward Eli Katoa after he safely arrived back in Melbourne this week, and it is devastating news for the second-rower and the club.
In a major update, the Storm have revealed star second-rower Eli Katoa will now miss the entire 2026 NRL season following a serious brain injury sustained while playing for Tonga.
The 25-year-old suffered three head knocks in just 90 minutes during the Pacific Cup clash against New Zealand at the start of November, which also led to a review by the NRL itself.
Katoa required oxygen on the sidelines after experiencing seizure activity and was rushed to hospital, where he underwent brain surgery due to internal bleeding.
He has since returned safely to Melbourne and will continue his recovery under the supervision of the club’s medical staff and local specialists.
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Storm chief Justin Rodski said Katoa’s health and wellbeing remain the club’s top priority, and that there is no timeline for his return to training.
“In consultation with our doctor and neuro specialists, Eli will not return to training this pre-season and won’t be available for the 2026 season,” Rodski said.
“He has a long road ahead in his recovery and his focus will be on returning to full health before considering any form of return to training. Eli is a much loved and respected member of our team and club. The Storm Family will rally around him and support him through his recovery.” Rodski went on to state.
Katoa has been pivotal to the Storm’s success over the past few seasons, establishing himself as arguably the best second-rower in the competition for a number of years, with his skill set impossible to replace for the Storm.
Since moving to Melbourne, he has consistently impressed with his work rate, defensive impact, and ability to break the line, finishing the 2025 season with 14 tries as one of the Storm’s most consistent strike weapons on the left edge.
His absence leaves a huge gap in Melbourne’s forward pack and will force coach Craig Bellamy and his staff to rethink their pre-season plans and will now potentially have huge ramifications on the 2026 NRL premiership.
The news also raises serious questions about the risks of players competing in representative tournaments outside of their clubs, with the spotlight once again on the cost to NRL clubs of players being selected in representative fixtures.
While missing the entire season is already shocking news, everyone will be hoping Katoa fully recovers, with his long-term career now also in question.
The future is still unknown for Katoa’s recovery, but the best news anyone can hope for now is that the big second-rower can return to the NRL field unaffected in 2027.