The NRL is 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.
A 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.
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 process.”
Katoa appeared to lose consciousness in a sickening pre-match collision with teammate Lehi Hopoate. He then received an elbow from another teammate, Will Penisini, in a tackle early in the match that left him with a cut to his left cheek.
The 25-year-old returned to the field after passing his head injury assessment but came off early in the second half after he misjudged a tackle on Naufahu Whyte and momentarily slumped to the turf.
Katoa has been named in the Dally M team of the year for the past two seasons.
