Source: The Guardian Sport
Eliesa Katoa of Tonga is attended to by a trainer after a collission during the Pacific Championships match against New Zealand.Photograph: Hannah Peters/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenEliesa Katoa of Tonga is attended to by a trainer after a collission during the Pacific Championships match against New Zealand.Photograph: Hannah Peters/Getty ImagesConcussion in sportEli Katoa’s seizure and brain bleed prompts calls for NRL to assess concussion protocolsTonga star cleared to play despite sickening pre-match collisionTwo further collisions leave player in hospital after emergency surgeryJack SnapeMon 3 Nov 2025 05.54 ESTFirst published on Sun 2 Nov 2025 22.59 ESTShareTheNRLis assessing whether there was a failure in the application of rugby league’s concussion protocols after Tonga star Eli Katoa underwent emergency surgery prompted by seizures and bleeding on the brain following three sickening head impacts on Sunday.Katoa was allowed to take the field after what appeared to be a concussion in the warm-up. He suffered another head injury in the first half of the Pacific Championships clash against New Zealand, but was allowed to continue the match.Abbi Church shines on debut for Jillaroos in gruelling win over New ZealandRead moreA third blow in the second half finally saw him leave the field when his side trailed by 22 points, but his condition deteriorated and he suffered seizures on the sideline. A medicab rushed him from the field and he underwent surgery on Sunday evening.The Melbourne Storm second rower posted on Instagram on Monday morning, apologising for not replying to those who had checked in on him and thanking people for their concern.Safety guidelines prevent players returning to the field if they undergo more than one head impact assessment, but there is no precedent when there has been another incident in the warm-up.The NRL confirmed on Monday night that the matter was under investigation.“Our first priority is the health of Eliesa Katoa,” an NRL spokesperson said. “The NRL chief medical officer is monitoring his condition and is in close contact with the medical experts involved.“The NRL is currently reviewing the circumstances of Sunday’s events in line with usual practice.”Rugby League Players Association chief operating officer Luke Ellis said his organisation is making enquiries with the NRL about the circumstances that led to Katoa’s surgery.“Ensuring a safe environment for players is the remit of the NRL,” he said. “So along with our own enquiries, we will be trusting them to work through this and understand what occurred.”Tonga coach Kristian Woolf defended the team’s doctors after the game.“We’ve got two very experienced doctors there. They’ve done their usual HIA. He’s passed all that and passed all that well,” he said. “My job is not to question doctors. They were both comfortable with that and comfortable with him coming back onto the field.“So I don’t think there’s anything to worry about there in terms of the p…
Published: 2025-11-03T10:54:20
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