Having been ruled out of the 2026 season due to repeated head knocks and a brain bleed while playing for Tonga, the NRL career of Eliesa Katoa is still clouded by uncertainty.

Having seen experts throughout Australia as part of his rehabilitation, Katoa will now head overseas over the next two months to see specialists in the United States of America and across Europe.

Katoa had reportedly undergone testing in May to determine whether there is a future for him playing rugby league, and if so, when could he return at the earliest.

However, no one, including head coach Craig Bellamy has been any wiser on when Katoa could return.

“The doctors haven't made that decision, and I don't know when that decision will get made to be quite honest," Bellamy said in March.

“I imagine after a certain amount of time he'll have more tests and go from there.

“It was a major injury, and we want him to live the rest of his life in a normal way.

“So fingers crossed.

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“But we'd love to have him back playing footy, and playing with us. He was one hell of a player. Last year he won our player of the year.”

NRL Rd 1 - Eels v Storm
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 02: Christian Welch of the Storm celebrates with Eliesa Katoa of the Storm after victory during the round one NRL match between the Parramatta Eels and the Melbourne Storm at CommBank Stadium on March 02, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

A key member of the Melbourne Storm squad, Katoa's impact, notably his average of 143 run metres per game, has been sorely missed all season.

The 26-year-old was regarded as one of the best back rowers in the game before the sickening head knocks, winning the Dally M for Second Row of the Year in 2024 and 2025.

1 COMMENT

  1. Worrying if he is going to see neurologists in the US and Europe.
    It suggests to me that all the specialists he has consulted have said “No – You’re done”, and he is hunting for someone who will tell him differently.

    Maybe he thinks he can be another Te Maire Martin who, if my memory serves me correctly, retired from the Cowboys after a bleed on the brain, and spent a couple of years out of the game before Brisbane offered him a contract and the NRL cleared him to play.

    However, just because Martin has (seemingly) come out unscathed that does not mean Katoa could also do that. Neurological damage is not like an ACL or a broken arm, where the recovery time can be predicted with confidence.

    To my knowledge, no Rugby League player has died from an ACL injury.