‘It touched the boys’ hearts’: Eli Katoa’s emotional return to Tonga squad

He may not be able to weigh in with his trademark barnstorming runs on the field, but Eli Katoa is playing an inspirational and key role for Tonga behind the scenes during the World Cup.

The gun back-rower has not played since he needed fluid drained from his brain after suffering three separate blows to the head before and during Tonga’s Pacific Championships clash with New Zealand last November.

Following an NRL investigation into Tonga’s handling of Katoa’s head knocks – including one that happened in the warm-up and was not made known to coaching staff before they sent Katoa out to play – three medicos received two-year bans, while a fourth official was handed a formal warning.

Katoa never once blamed Tonga, and his involvement in their World Cup campaign shows he holds no grudges and wants nothing but success for his teammates.

There were plenty of tears in the Tongan camp when Katoa opened up about how his life changed on that afternoon at Eden Park.

“He’s had a huge influence on this group, and everyone knows how important Eli is to us Tongans,” Isaiya Katoa told this masthead on Tuesday.

“He got up in front of the team in Perth on the first or second day of camp and spoke about last year’s experience, and what it’s been like for him the last 12 months.

“He said he now had a new perspective on life, and he had found so much good the last 12 months.

“He teared up in our team meeting. Everyone knew about the situation last year. We wanted to know what his last 12 months had been like. We hadn’t been together as a group since then.

“So to hear that, it touched the boys’ hearts, and reminded us to be grateful for the smallest things in life, including having this opportunity to play footy. It’s something you don’t appreciate at the time, but when it’s taken away from you, you learn to appreciate it quickly.

“One thing we have done is keep Eli in our prayers the last 12 months, and definitely in this camp.”

Coach Kristian Woolf, who stayed in Auckland for over a week to be by Katoa’s bedside after his operation last year, said the forward’s presence in camp had lifted the squad.

“I think it was really important for Eli and everyone else,” Woolf said. “There’s no bad blood at all, he’s been really understanding of the situation. Just to have his presence and leadership … he was in our leadership group last year, he was a tremendous leader on the field, and he’s bringing all those things now as a staff member.

“He’s our blue-shirt trainer, he’s part of the assistant coaching staff, and he helps out with what we do culturally around the group. He’s got a very involved role for us.”

Katoa spent several hours with an NFL doctor when the LA Rams and San Francisco 49ers played in Australia last month, and received an encouraging prognosis on a potential playing return next year.

He will now undergo scans in the next six weeks. If those results come back clear, an independent panel of overseas experts, to be assembled by the Storm board, will determine whether to allow Katoa to return to training and playing.

Meanwhile, Isaiya Katoa was expected to be named in the halves to play against Lebanon on Friday at CommBank Stadium, despite being restricted to light duties at training after aggravating an ankle injury during the 30-12 win over England.

Latu Fainu overcame a pectoral injury, while Tui Lolohea and Junior Amone are available should Tonga elect to give Katoa a spell.

Katoa said Fainu had the ability to be “one of the most damaging five-eighths in the game”.

However, the Tigers playmaker said he feared the worst after damaging his pec just 15 minutes into the match against England.

“I felt my pec go, and it was more like a nerve injury,” Fainu said. “I made a tackle and my arm went dead, I had no power in it. I was worried it was ruptured because I had no range. But I’m lucky we have great physios who have looked after me. Everything came back clear.”

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