Melbourne Storm and Tonga star Eli Katoa will miss the full 2026 NRL season per a club update after his horror head clash on international duty.
The 2025 NRL Grand Finalists have shared an update about their star forward who suffered his head injury before and during Tonga’s Pacific Championships clash against New Zealand.
Katoa was left on wobbly feet after a sickening clash with one of his own teammates during the warm-ups, however, he was allowed to play before then enduring another head knock. A Head Injury Assessment (HIA) took place with Katoa deemed fit to return to the action but a third and final head contact forced him off.
That led to scary scenes with the second-rower suffering a seizure on the sidelines before being taken to hospital, where he has spent much of the past two weeks.
The Storm’s most recent update has confirmed that Katoa has returned from Auckland and been seen by specialists at Melbourne hospital, before being released to recover at home.
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NRL star to miss full 2026 season after brain injury
Despite that release from hospital, Katoa still faces a spell of rehabilitation and the club have confirmed that in consultation with neuro specialists, the decision has been made that Katoa will not return to training in pre-season and will not be available for selection throughout the 2026 NRL campaign.
Club CEO Justin Rodski said: “Eli’s health and wellbeing remain our number one priority.
“It is great to have him home safely and under the care of our Club doctor and local specialists. He is improving each day and looking forward to continuing his rehabilitation from home.”
Confirming the decision for the Tonga star not to play in 2026, Rodski said: “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.
“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.”
A previous update from Rodski had emphasised a focus on getting the forward back to health, stating that it was “far too early” to even speculate about a playing return.
The Club has provided the following update on Eli Katoa and his recovery.
More details 📲 https://t.co/TcUQKLxwcw pic.twitter.com/Ruom8RmOGX
— Melbourne Storm (@storm) November 18, 2025
