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Get your Melbourne Cup kit'Sickening and indefensible': Storm star in sideline emergency
SEN • November 3rd, 2025 9:45 am
The decision to allow Eliesa Katoa to take to the field for Tonga against New Zealand has been ruled “indefensible” by Andrew Voss after the Storm star required oxygen and was rushed to hospital on Sunday night.
Vision of Katoa taking a brutal knock from teammate Lehi Hopoate should have been enough to rule him out of the match. The impact was clear and he lay motionless after the hit for a period of time before continuing to prepare.
Just nine minutes into the clash, after sustaining another knock to the head and a split eye, he required an HIA check, which he passed.
Then again after 51 minutes a third head knock ended his game after he went low to tackle Naufahu Whyte.
Then came the terrifying after effects which some outlets have described as delayed concussion symptoms, Katoa required an oxygen mask and was loaded onto a medicab surrounded by teammates and staff.
“Oh my goodness,” Andrew Voss said on SEN 1170. “Sickening. Unbelievable situation. I think it’s indefensible personally.
“If I’m Melbourne, I’m saying I want a full detailed description of how that played out.
“Looking at that incident before the game, that’s category 1 to my untrained doctor eye.
“Melbourne wouldn’t send him back on after that.”
While the incident has drawn significant criticism and calls for more information, Tonga coach Kristian Woolf defended the decision to send him on.
"Obviously he wasn't great on the sidelines," Woolf said.
"I don't know the full details.
"The doctors have gone with him (to hospital), but he wasn't great on the sideline. I'm told that he was responsive and was improving before he actually went to the hospital.
"We've got two very experienced doctors there. They've done their usual HIA. He's passed all that and passed all that well.
"My job is not to question doctors. They were both comfortable with that and comfortable with him coming back onto the field.
"So I don't think there's anything to worry about there in terms of the process."
New Zealand beat Tonga 40-14 and will play Samoa in the Pacific Championships final in Sydney next week.
