LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
Eliesa Katoa is scheduled to be transferred from an Auckland hospital to a Melbourne facility as he continues his recovery following brain surgery.
His team has opted not to comment on the possibility of the talented forward returning to NRL play.
The Melbourne second-rower sustained three head injuries within just 90 minutes during a match for Tonga against New Zealand in the Pacific Championships, one of which occurred during warm-ups.
At 25, Katoa needed oxygen after experiencing seizure activity on the sidelines. He was then rushed to the hospital where he underwent surgery due to bleeding in the brain.
Storm CEO Justin Rodski reported that while Katoa has been showing steady improvement, he still has a "long way to go." Following his stay in the Melbourne hospital, Katoa might require time at a rehabilitation center.
"It's been obviously a really challenging few weeks, both for him, the club, his family and he's in a stable condition," Rodski stated at the club's headquarters on Friday.
"He's been improving, which is really pleasing, but he's still got a long way to go in terms of his short-term, medium-term recovery."
Rodski also shared about the club's next steps: "The next step for us is getting him back to Australia, so we're hopeful that over the weekend or early next week we can get him back to Melbourne … and returns to hospital for a period of time for further assessment, to see some specialists here, to be under the care of the doctor here."