Melbourne Storm have confirmed Eli Katoa suffered “seizure activity” on the bench and needed surgery after being allowed to play on for Tonga against New Zealand on Sunday, a decision described as “indefensible”.
Tonga coach Kristian Woolf defended his side’s doctors for letting the forward take the field in Auckland despite copping a sickening head knock in the warm-up.
Katoa was rushed to hospital during his side’s loss to New Zealand in the Pacific Championships, with fans stunned he was given the all clear to play following the vicious collision with teammate Lehi Hopoate.
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The Storm star appeared dazed but was allowed to play before Katoa was forced off for a head injury assessment after just nine minutes following another blow to the head.
He returned to the field after passing the HIA but copped another knock midway through the second half. Katoa’s health deteriorated, with the edge forward requiring an oxygen mask before he was taken from the field on a medi-cab.
Melbourne officials confirmed on Monday morning that Katoa 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 read.
“Eli underwent surgery overnight and is in a stable condition being supported by his partner and mother. Storm medical staff remain in close contact with the hospital and Tonga’s team chief medical officer.
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“The club will provide a further update as additional information becomes available.”
Katoa posted an update from hospital on Monday morning, with the NRL likely to investigate how he was allowed to take the field.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” he posted on Instagram.
“Appreciate everyone for checking in, sorry if I haven’t got back to any of you guys but I really appreciate all the love and the messages Ofa atu (love you).”
The fact he was cleared to play hasn’t sat well with most people.
“A sickening, unbelievable situation. I think it’s indefensible,” commentator Andrew Voss said on SEN.
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“If I’m Melbourne, I’m saying I want a full detailed description of how that played out.
“Looking at that incident before the game, that’s category 1 to my untrained doctor eye.
“Melbourne wouldn’t send him back on after that.”
Woolf staunchly defended Tonga’s medical staff for how they handled the pre-game incident.
“He’s (Katoa) gone to hospital, obviously he wasn’t great on the sideline,’’ Woolf said.
“I don’t know the full details. The doctors have gone with him (to hospital), and I was told he was responsive when he went to hospital.
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“The doctors did the usual HIA, we’ve got two very experienced doctors there. They’ve done their usual HIA and he’s passed all that well.
“My job isn’t to question doctors. They were both comfortable with him coming back onto the field, so I don’t think there’s anything there in terms of worrying about the process.
“Unfortunately I think he’s copped a second hit that was quite heavy and there’s been a poor result out of that.
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“He had two HIAs in the game. He passed his HIA from the first one, then the second one he doesn’t go back on anyway.
“By all reports he was fine when he came back off, but he deteriorated after that.
“Everything has been done by the book.’’
Samoa forward Junior Paulo, meanwhile, touched on the incident when speaking to reporters on Monday and said the lesson to be learned is to put your “health before your job”.
“We as footy players will probably never say no to turning up for your country and getting out there and playing,” he said.
“However, this sort of falls down to there is protocols around that and it probably should be followed and probably were followed but in terms of putting your health before your job is probably the main outcome you really want to take out of it.”
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