Eli Katoa moments before he was taken to hospital.
New Zealand rugby league legend Shaun Johnson is calling for heads to roll over the handling of Eli Katoa’s repeated head knocks that saw the Tongan star undergo emergency surgery following “seizure activity” in their Pacific Championships loss to the Kiwis.
The fallout from the disturbing scenes at Eden Park are ongoing, with calls for a change of rules and better education around head knocks.
Katoa was seen slouching in his seat midway through the second half, minutes after leaving the field following his third head knock, which prompted urgent medical assistance on the field. He was fitted with an oxygen mask, put on a stretcher and taken away on a medi-cab before being transported to Auckland Hospital where he underwent surgery to remove fluid from his brain.
He is now in a stable condition in hospital and is being supported by his mum, partner and a Melbourne Storm wellbeing officer. It’s understood he will remain in hospital for the rest of the week before returning to Australia next week.
The NRL has confirmed it is “reviewing the circumstances of Sunday’s events, with Tonga’s coach Kristian Woolf declaring he trusted his two team doctors followed the correct protocols”.
Speaking on his podcast the Play On Sport Show, Johnson, who played 35 tests for the Kiwis, said he was “angry” with how the situation was handled.
“I don’t get how it can even get to that point, but from a player’s view, we just hope that Eli’s all good,” Johnson said. “Anyone that’s been in that situation or has seen teammates in that situation, it’s the worst thing to see.
“I feel a bit angry about the situation. There is going to be fallout over this. There are going to be some heads that are rolled because I do not know how Eli Katoa was allowed to take the field.”
Katoa’s first knock came in the warm-up when he was on the wrong end of an accidental but sickening-looking hit from teammate Lehi Hopoate as the two contested a ball.
The independent doctor can only review incidents that occur during games and as this incident took place beforehand, it was up to Tonga’s team doctors to review the situation. They declared him fit to play.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the medical staff didn’t see the incident, but if they had, it’s reported they would have ruled Katoa out of the match before a ball was kicked.
Katoa copped an accidental elbow from a teammate in the game’s 10th minute and came off for a head injury assessment (HIA), but passed that.
In the second half, he got caught in an awkward position trying to make a tackle on Naufahu Whyte and came off second-best. As it was his second HIA, he was immediately ruled out for the remainder of the match.
Johnson said had the first knock happened during the match, he would have been ruled out of the match, which brings the current rules into question.
“In warm-up, he has a shoulder to the head ... loose body to the ground,” Johnson said.
“All I thought straight away when I saw that was if that happened in a game or if that happened at training during the week, he’s done and they’d probably go cat one [category 1] on it so he wouldn’t even sit an HIA and would be done.”
Former All Blacks halfback Steve Devine, who says he’s taken “30 to 40 knocks” during his playing days, is helping with new ground-breaking technology – known as the Nurochek headset – which will allow head injuries to be detected in just two minutes, delivering an objective test result based on a binary yes or no.
Devine has been meeting with multiple sporting organisations in recent weeks, with the first devices set to arrive later this week.
He says the device will help take the burden off doctors, who might feel pressured in certain situations to make a hasty call.
Stacey Mowbray, chief executive of Headway – a concussion and brain injury education charity – said there needs to be improved education so everyone understands the signs and symptoms of concussion.
“The science is clear – repeated head injuries within a short time frame can have devastating, lifelong consequences,” Mowbray said.
“This is why concussion education is vital. Recognising concussion symptoms and removing immediately is how we protect our community and our players.
“This isn’t just about one incident, it’s about changing the culture of all sport at all levels to prioritise brain health. We owe it to every athlete, at every level, to protect their future beyond the game.”
Katoa provided an update on Instagram on Monday morning, alongside a picture of an intravenous drip in his arm.
“Appreciate everyone for checking in, sorry if I haven’t got back to any of you guys, but I really appreciate all the love and the messages,” Katoa wrote.
The incident overshadowed a great spectacle for international rugby league, with more than 38,000 fans at Eden Park to watch the Kiwis claim a 40-14 win to book their place in Sunday’s Pacific Cup final against Samoa.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.