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"Gravely concerned": Katoa continues to defy the odds
SEN •  December 11th, 2025 3:28 pm
Melbourne Storm reveal they were "gravely" concerned for Eli Katoa in the immediate aftermath of the horrifying incident that saw him under go brain surgery last month.
While playing for Tonga in the Pacific Championships in November, Katoa suffered a sickening head knock in the team's warm-up, before sustaining two more big hits and under going HIA tests, the second of which ruled him out of the game.
After leaving the field, the Storm star suffered seizure like symptoms and was admitted to hospital where he underwent surgery to ease pressure on his brain.
The 25-year-old spent the majority of November in an Auckland hospital before being deemed fit enough to return to Melbourne.
In a remarkable turn of fortune, Katoa has continued to make an impressive recovery at a rehab centre, working in conjunction with his club doctors.
"He is really well and from a physical point of view he has made a remarkable recovery," Storm GM Frank Ponissi told SEN.
"He has been in the rehab clinic, he sends photos to the boys. He his a lot better than we was.
"We were gravely concerned there for a while."
This week the NRL handed down breach notices to four Tongan rugby league staff members after completing an investigation into how Katoa suffered three head knocks and moreover, how he was allowed to remain on the field.
The breach notices apply to Tonga's head doctor, assistant doctor, orange shirt trainer, and the yellow shirt trainer.
The doctor, assistant doctor, and orange shirt trainer have been handed 24-month bans from any competition associated with the NRL or ARLC.
Katoa has already been ruled out of the 2026 season given the grave nature of the injuries he sustained, but he will still have an important role to play with his club.
"He is rehabbing and coming on well," Ponissi continued. "He’s not back at the club yet but in the new year we think we will start seeing him at the club.
"He is a leader, as well as a wonderful player and he is a mentor for our players. He will play a role in some way. We haven’t spoken about that yet. We will miss him on the field but he will contribute."
