The NRL is under pressure once again after Melbourne Storm player Eli Katoa suffered multiple head knocks, including one where teammate Lehi Hopoate accidentally bumped him while warming up for the Tonga v New Zealand Pacific Championship match in Auckland.
The situation worsened for the Tongan as he experienced another hit in the first half. Although he passed his head injury assessment, the constant blows to the head took a toll. After another hit, medical staff took him off the field, where he experienced seizures before being rushed to the hospital for surgery.
The NRL confirmed it will review the circumstances that led to Katoa suffereing multiple blows to the head. Our first priority is the health of Eliesa Katoa,” an NRL spokesperson emphasized. “The NRL chief medical officer is monitoring his condition and is in close contact with the medical experts involved. “The NRL is currently reviewing the circumstances of Sunday’s events in line with usual practice.”
Tonga team coach Kristian Woolf defended his team’s doctors for their big decision in allowing Katoa to continue playing despite copping a head knock pre-game while warming up. “We’ve got two very experienced doctors there. They’ve done their usual HIA. He’s passed all that and passed all that well,” Woolf said.
“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.”
Despite the head trauma Katoa has suffered his club is in full support of him as well after Melbourne Storm officials confirmed on Monday that he was in a stable condition. “Melbourne Storm forward Eli Katoa was taken to hospital after suffering seizure activity on the bench during the second half of yesterday’s Pacific Championships match between Tonga and New Zealand,” a club statement pointed out.
Rugby League Players Association CEO Luke Ellis mentioned that the organization is making enquiries with the NRL on the circumstances leading to the Tongan’s surgery.
“Ensuring a safe environment for players is the remit of the NRL,” he said. “So along with our own enquiries, we will be trusting them to work through this and understand what occurred.”
The Tongan took to social media from hospital to express his gratitude for the suppoort he recieved.
“Appreciate everyone for checking in,” he wrote on Instagram. “Sorry, I haven’t got back to any of you guys, but I really appreciate all the love.”
Katoa has seen his name in the Dally M team of the year for the past two years, cementing himself as a star player in the NRL.
Featured Image: Eli Katoa playing for Melbourne Storm back in 2023. Photo by Storm machine Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
