The Melbourne Storm and the wider rugby league community are holding their breath as star forward Eliesa Katoa continues his recovery from emergency brain surgery, with his playing future remaining completely uncertain.
Serious Incident During Pacific Championships
The 25-year-old underwent brain surgery at an Auckland hospital after suffering three separate head knocks within just 90 minutes while playing for Tonga in their Pacific Championships clash at Eden Park two weeks ago. Following the repeated impacts, Katoa experienced seizure activity and a brain bleed, requiring immediate medical attention including an oxygen mask before being rushed to hospital for emergency surgery.
Long Road to Recovery Ahead
Melbourne Storm CEO Justin Rodski provided a concerning health update on Friday, stating that while Katoa has shown improvement, the club remains cautious about his recovery timeline. "He's been in hospital since the incident... The good news is he is stable. He has improved and we are grateful for the work of the doctors over there," Rodski said at club headquarters.
The CEO emphasized that Katoa is expected to be transferred from the Auckland hospital to a medical facility in Melbourne over the weekend or early next week, where he will continue his recovery under the care of Australian specialists.
Club Refuses to Speculate on Playing Future
When questioned about whether Katoa would ever play in the NRL again, Rodski was unequivocal in his response. "We don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves. Just continue his recovery without any projections about where this will land," he stated.
Rodski described the situation as "a terribly heart-breaking incident for him and his family and the club" and confirmed they would be taking the recovery process step by step. He specifically addressed questions about Katoa's potential return in 2026, saying "I don't know, it's very early and we haven't really looked at that at this point."
The Storm CEO acknowledged Katoa's importance to the team, noting that he's been "one of our best two or three players in the last two years" but reiterated that speculation about his playing future is premature.
NRL Investigation Underway
Rodski confirmed that the club has been working with the NRL as it investigates Tonga's handling of Katoa during the match. The investigation will examine why the player was allowed to start the game, return following a second head knock, and then suffer a third impact that ultimately ended his participation.
"Clearly a really serious incident and something that needs and requires an investigation," Rodski said, expressing satisfaction with the NRL's process while maintaining that the club's primary focus remains on Katoa's health and recovery.
