Melbourne Storm coach reveals gutting update on Eli Katoa’s future

It’s the news no footy fan wanted to hear, but Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy has dropped a massive bomb on the future of powerhouse Eli Katoa. 

In November last year, Katoa suffered three head knocks during the Tonga vs Kiwis Pacific Championships, and the second-rower was forced under the knife for brain surgery.

While he was already ruled out for the 2026 season, Bellamy has now revealed that we might have seen the last of him on the field for good.

"I don't know if he'll play next year… I don't know if he'll play again," Bellamy told Channel 7. 

While Bellamy made it clear that Katoa is "doing really well at the moment," his health off the field is the only thing that actually matters right now.

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

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

Despite the uncertainty, Katoa isn't just sitting on the sidelines. He’s been back at training in a limited capacity, putting his footy IQ to use by mentoring the club’s next generation of forwards. 

Bellamy noted that Katoa has been working closely with young guns Cooper Clarke, Joe Chan, and Ativalu Lisati, and has “helped them out a whole heap”. 

Katoa’s injury sparked outrage in the footy community, with debates over why he was even allowed to play after his initial head knock. 

Fans have made themself sick over the fact that this could’ve been avoided. 

Tonga’s staff gave him a "quick look" and cleared him to play, only admitting later they hadn't seen the replay of the hit. 

Former stars like Shaun Johnson and Jazz Tevaga weighed in with their anger-fueled opinion on Katoa’s injury, noting that something needed to change in these processes.

We’re rooting for ya, Eli, and we’re hoping we can see you tear it up in 2027.