‘Serious concerns’: NRL hands down two-year bans for Tongan medical staff for how they handled Eli Katoa’s head knocks
Three officials at the centre of the Eliesa Katoa concussion drama which left the Tongan and Storm star with bleeding on the brain have been banned from rugby league.
Two doctors and the head trainer who allowed Eliesa Katoa to play through a number of head knocks for Tonga have been banned from working in rugby league for two years.
The November 2 clash in New Zealand rocked the rugby league world with sickening vision of Katoa collecting the shoulder of teammate Lehi Hopoate in the pre-game warm-up.
Katoa was clearly in a bad way but was somehow allowed to play, with Tongan medical staff claiming they hadn’t seen the footage that went to air.
The world’s best edge forward was then forced off for a head injury assessment in the ninth minute which he passed, before another collision in the second half ruled him out of the contest.
Katoa suffered “seizure activity” on the bench and required an oxygen mask before he was taken to hospital for surgery to ease pressure on his brain.
The Storm star spent two weeks in an Auckland hospital before he was cleared to return to Melbourne where the Storm made the call to rule him out of the 2026 season, although he has since vowed to do everything possible to return to the field.
The club and footy fans around the world have been waiting for the NRL’s report which was finally released on Monday afternoon.
“The investigation has identified a number of serious concerns regarding possible breaches of the NRL rules and protocols by a number of individuals in the way that Mr Katoa was treated,” the report read.
“These concerns relate to a possible breakdown in communication between responsible medical and health professionals in relation to the safety of Mr Katoa, including through a failure to share and disclose information that was vital to the health of the player.
“The NRL rules and protocols exist to protect player safety and wellbeing and must be followed.”
As a result of what happened last month, several members of Tonga’s medical staff have been hit with breaches and proposed penalties.
• Head Doctor - a prohibition from being concerned, whether directly or indirectly, with any club, team or player in the NRL competitions, representative competitions or any other competition conducted under the auspices of the NRL or ARLC for a period of no less than 24 months.
• Assistant Doctor - a prohibition from being concerned, whether directly or indirectly, with any club, team or player in the NRL competitions, representative competitions or any other competition conducted under the auspices of the NRL or ARLC for a period of no less than 24 months.
• Orange Shirt Trainer (Head Trainer) – a prohibition from being concerned, whether directly or indirectly, with any club, team or player in the NRL competitions, representative competitions or any other competition conducted under the auspices of the NRL or ARLC for a period of 24 months.
The yellow shirt trainer (medical assistant) has been issued with a formal warning, with all individuals to undergo mandatory training on their duties under NRL rules for the management of possible head injuries and concussion.
All have five days to respond to the breach notice.
Originally published as ‘Serious concerns’: NRL hands down two-year bans for Tongan medical staff for how they handled Eli Katoa’s head knocks
