Craig Bellamy, the coach of the Melbourne Storm, has expressed concerns that Eli Katoa, their prominent forward, might never return to rugby following brain surgery prompted by severe on-field collisions.
Katoa, who has twice been recognized as the Dally M Second Rower of the Year, endured three concussive impacts within a mere 90 minutes during a match for Tonga against New Zealand in last year’s Pacific Championships. This included an unfortunate clash with teammate Lehi Hopoate during warm-ups.
In a distressing turn of events, Katoa experienced seizure-like symptoms and required immediate oxygen assistance.
He was swiftly transported to the hospital, where he underwent an operation to address a brain bleed.
As a consequence of allowing Katoa to continue playing after the head injuries, two doctors and a trainer are facing proposed two-year bans from the NRL.
Currently 26, Katoa has been sidelined for the 2026 season, though he has shared his hopes of making a comeback in 2027.
Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy delivered news on Eli Katoa on Channel Seven’s Agenda Setters on Monday night
Katoa suffered three head knocks while playing for Tonga against New Zealand in the Pacific Championships last year
The NRL launched an investigation into the matter that left Katoa needing emergency surgery to drain fluid from his brain after he suffered three head collisions during a match
But Bellamy appeared on Channel Seven’s Agenda Setters on Monday night and was less confident about his star player’s on-field future.
‘He’s doing really well at the moment,’ Bellamy said.
‘I don’t know if he’ll play next year. I don’t know if he’ll play again.
‘The doctors haven’t made that decision, and I don’t know when that decision will get made to be quite honest.’
Bellamy said Katoa would undergo more tests in the coming months to see how his recovery was progressing.
The supercoach conceded Katoa suffered a ‘major injury’, and living a quality life off the football field was the club’s main priority.
‘We want him to live the rest of his life in a normal way, so fingers crossed,’ Bellamy said.
‘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.’
Lehi Hopoate collided with Katoa in the warm-up before the Test match
Katoa won two Dally M Second Rower of the Year awards before his injury
Katoa last month said he was recovering well and was keen to make it back onto the footy field.
‘I just want to let everyone know that I’m healthy now,’ he told the Storm website.
‘I’ve been training hard the last two or three months with no symptoms, so I’m going great at the moment.’
Katoa has been helping Bellamy at training, working with the Storm forwards as the club tries to recover from consecutive grand final losses to Penrith and Brisbane.
Bellamy said the Tongan international has been mentoring the team’s young forwards including Cooper Clarke.
‘We’ve given him a role with our edge back rowers to take them under his wing, like young Cooper Clarke,’ Bellamy said.
‘We have to give Eli a lot of raps for that – even with Joey Chan and Ativalu (Lisati), he’s helped them out a whole heap as well.’
Lisati said Katoa had not only been providing coaching but was an inspirational figure for the playing group.
‘Eli has been around training with us and it’s been a motivation for us,’ Lisati said.
‘He’s been going through it tough, so to see him on the field is a motivation for us boys to do a job for him this year.
‘The boys are also picking his brain at training because we want to learn stuff from him and take a page from his book and apply it to how we’ll play this year.’
