Storm Star Katoa Faces Uncertain Future After Brain Surgery

As of November 15th, 2025, the playing future of Melbourne Storm star backrower Eli Katoa remains uncertain. The 25-year-old Tongan international recently suffered a series of devastating head injuries while representing his country.

In early November, Katoa experienced three significant head knocks within just 90 minutes during a match between Tonga and New Zealand in the Pacific Championships. This included one collision while warming up with teammate Levi Hopoate. The disturbing scenes saw Katoa requiring oxygen after suffering seizure activity, and he was rushed to the hospital where he underwent surgery due to brain bleeding.

Melbourne Storm CEO Justin Rodski has now admitted that Katoa's recovery remains a significant challenge, both for the player and the club. Rodski stated that while Katoa's condition has improved, he still has a long way to go in his short-term and medium-term recovery. The focus now is on getting Katoa back to Melbourne to be under the care of the Storm's medical team.

Crucially, Rodski revealed that whether Katoa will return to the field in 2026 or ever again is still unknown at this stage. The CEO emphasized that it is simply too early to speculate on the player's future, with the priority being Katoa's health and well-being in the immediate term.