Te Maire Martin is ready to be on hand to assist Eli Katoa’s recovery from a brain bleed, but says people should not be comparing his comeback from the condition to what the Melbourne star is facing.
Katoa is expected to be released from an Auckland hospital in coming days after suffering a brain bleed and seizure activity following three head knocks in 90 minutes with Tonga earlier this month.
The NRL is also set to announce its findings over whether Katoa should have been able to face New Zealand after a heavy knock in the warm-up before copping two more hits to the head in the game.
Te Maire Martin has made a successful return to the field after a brief retirement. (Getty Images: Hannah Peters)
Martin himself made a premature retirement from the NRL in 2019, after he began to feel ill during a warm-up to a match against Canterbury.
Scans later showed a bleed on the brain, but doctors were unable to find any specific head knock that led to the issue.
The playmaker was eventually able to return to football two years later when the headaches and migraines went away, before coming back to the NRL in 2022.
Katoa’s immediate playing future remains unclear, but Martin suggested there was every chance the Melbourne star’s path back could be easier.
Eli Katoa’s immediate playing future remains unclear after his brain bleed. (Getty Images: Hannah Peters)
“Because they didn’t know what happened or why it happened [with me], they didn’t know if it was going to happen again,” Martin said.
“But I think Eli’s whack to the head … if I got whacked in the head, it would be easy. It would be, don’t get whacked in the head again and you won’t get a brain bleed.
“But because I didn’t, I took the other route [and retired]. But there are specialists everywhere, and that’s their job [to advise].”
Martin said he had got through his two years away from sport by keeping busy and focusing on hobbies such as hunting and surfing.
And while he has not reached out to Katoa yet, Martin is well-versed in talking athletes through the situation.
“I don’t know him too well,” Martin said.
“I’ve had a few people reach out to me from other sports, along those lines of how it happened and the comeback.
“If he reached out to me, I would happily give him some advice. He’s probably getting bombarded with messages.
“I don’t know what he has or what his other things are, but I was lucky enough, I had other hobbies that I enjoyed.”
Martin completed his own fairytale comeback this month, regaining his Kiwi jersey for the first time against Katoa at Eden Park before helping New Zealand to the Pacific Cup with victory over Samoa on Sunday.
“The last Test I played was 2018. I just thought I would play for the rest of my career and I would have so many years left,” Martin said.
“Then it got taken away. To be back in this space, it’s cool. I’ve loved it.”
AAP