Eli Katoa won’t play for the Storm again this year, with the superstar edge forward to continue working with specialists and neurosurgeons to determine whether he’ll be able to resume contact work in a bid to return to rugby league in 2027.

The official confirmation from the club comes on the back of the devastating news that representative winger Xavier Coates ruptured his Achilles at training which means he won’t play at all in 2026.

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Katoa, 26, last played a game back on November 2 when he suffered several head knocks during a Test for Tonga against New Zealand, including a heavy collision before the match that should have seen him ruled out.

But the two-time Dally M Second-Rower of the Year was allowed to play and suffered two more blows to the head which eventually saw him rushed to hospital with bleeding on the brain which required emergency surgery.

It’s been an emotional recovery for him and everyone at the club, and while he’s been able to take part in some light training drills over the months, the Storm have confirmed he still has a long way to go to ever play again.

“Eli won’t play this year,” Storm chief executive Justin Rodski told the NewsWire.

“He’s still going through his recovery process and continuing to try to build up through a training point of view, but it’s all non-contact.

“He’ll continue to work with his specialists and neurosurgeons around a plan for phasing him back into more and more training.

“In terms of when that is and whether or not that includes contact training in the near future, we simply do not know so we just have to be patient and continue to listen to the medical experts.

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“Eli is so keen to get back out there and play. He’s at training and the club every day, but we can’t rush his return and we need to ensure that we’ve done everything right and followed the medical process.

“I think over the coming months we’ll start to get a clearer picture on what that could look like, and hopefully there is a path to return to some contact training at some point down the track.

“But at this stage we’re still waiting to get that confirmation.

“We’ve been getting around him and giving him all the support he needs because it’s hard for any player being on the sidelines.

“For Eli, having the uncertainty on what that actually looks like makes it even more difficult.

“We couldn’t have more respect for a person because he’s such a wonderful leader in the organisation. We’ve missed him on the field, but it’s been great to have him around off the field.

“We’re all hopeful that we get some positive news over the coming months that there’s a plan for his return.”

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Meanwhile, fellow Storm forward Tui Kamikamica continues to push for an NRL return after he suffered a stroke following a round four loss to the Cowboys.

The veteran has resumed training, and there is a feeling that he could be back playing this year as long as he gets approval from health experts.

“Tui is so keen to get back out there, but we’re waiting on further medical advice to give him the all clear,” Rodski said.

“He’s back into training, he’s around the club, he’s energetic and passionate as ever to return, but he’s gone through a serious ordeal so we need to make sure that we’ve done everything right to tick every box from a medical point of view to clear him to be able to play again this season.

“Unfortunately, we don’t know when that might be, and he’s still going through some testing.

“Until we’ve got that medical approval and clearance, he’s just going to continue to train and be around the club.”