Tonga\u2019s Eliesa Katoa didn\u2019t just have a tough day at work. He had a potentially life-threatening injury on the footy field – and it\u2019s hard not to shake the feeling it could\u2019ve been avoided.<\/p>\n
During Mate Ma\u2019a Tonga\u2019s Pacific Championship clash against the Kiwis at Eden Park on Sunday, the Melbourne Storm forward took three head knocks<\/a>, causing him to experience seizures and an eventual brain bleed.\u00a0<\/p>\n The 25-year-old was stretchered off with an oxygen mask and rushed to the hospital for emergency brain surgery.\u00a0<\/p>\n His first head knock was the notable one, which happened in warm-ups when he took a shoulder to the face from his teammate Lehi Hopoate. Katoa is seen immediately falling to the ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n The fact that he\u2019s now stable and recovering is a miracle. But the fact that he was ever allowed back out there after the first knock? Madness.<\/p>\n Tonga coach Kristian Woolf said after the match<\/a> that his job was \u201cnot to question doctors\u201d. He said that the trainers were \u201ccomfortable\u201d with him being back on the field.\u00a0<\/p>\n So, what went wrong? How did oversight fail Katoa?\u00a0<\/p>\n The loophole that nearly cost his life<\/p>\n Under NRL rules,<\/a> independent doctors sit in the bunker during games, reviewing every hit for possible concussion. On the sideline, trainers are there to flag anything worrying and assess players on the ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n Similarly, during training, spotters are present to monitor for head knocks, and each contact session is videoed, allowing all head knocks to be reviewed.\u00a0<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the kicker – there are no rules for pre-game.\u00a0<\/p>\n There\u2019s no mandatory medical oversight during warm-ups. No video review of pre-game collisions. No independent checks before a ball is kicked.\u00a0<\/p>\n This is how Katoa\u2019s blow slipped through the cracks. While he was cleared after a \u2018quick look\u2019 from Tonga\u2019s staff, they didn\u2019t take him for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA) and admitted they didn\u2019t see the replay until after the game had finished.\u00a0<\/p>\n Both of these are concerning. Allegedly, it wasn\u2019t seen by staff due to a lack of pre-game procedure. On top of that, he was cleared? After taking a HUGE knock like that?\u00a0<\/p>\n While World Rugby has its Head Injury Assessment<\/a> (HIA) protocols, even these have been criticized for patchy oversight and lack of community-wide implementation.\u00a0<\/p>\n This is not a grey area. This is a hole in player safety – and this time, it nearly ended in tragedy.<\/p>\n The fallout<\/p>\n The rugby league world is, rightfully so, fuming, with current and former players giving their sentiments to Katoa and calling out the poor treatment of the young man.\u00a0<\/p>\n Former Warriors star Shaun Johnson said on the Play On Sports Show he was \u201cfurious\u201d and reckons \u201cheads will roll.\u201d<\/p>\n Jazz Tevaga, who was Katoa\u2019s teammate at the Warriors, said it<\/a> \u201cshould never have happened.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Fans online called it \u201cdisgraceful,\u201d with some even suggesting<\/a> Katoa retire rather than risk his long-term health.<\/p>\n