Eli Katoa ruled out of entire 2026 NRL season after head impacts and brain surgery
Melbourne Storm backrower Eli Katoa has been ruled out for the entire 2026 season as he recovers at home in Victoria, having returned from a prolonged stay in Auckland following brain surgery,The 25-year-old suffered three head injuries in one afternoon while playing for Tonga in a Pacific Championship match against New Zealand and suffered seizures while on the sideline, triggering emergency medical attention,A procedure to relieve bleeding on the brain left Katoa in hospital and initially unable to travel back to Melbourne,The Storm revealed on Tuesday that Katoa had finally returned home and was recovering, having also briefly visited a Melbourne hospital,“Eli’s health and wellbeing remain our number one priority,” Storm chief executive Justin Rodski said.
“It is great to have him home safely and under the care of our club doctor and local specialists,“He is improving each day and looking forward to continuing his rehabilitation from home,”Rodski said there was no timeframe on Katoa’s recovery or possible return to training,“In consultation with our doctor and neuro specialists, Eli will not return to training this pre-season and won’t be available for the 2026 season,” he said,“He has a long road ahead in his recovery and his focus will be on returning to full health before considering any form of return to training.
“Eli is a much loved and respected member of our team and club,The Storm family will rally around him and support him through his recovery,”The NRL is finalising its investigation into the circumstances that led to Katoa’s surgery, while the Rugby League Players’ Association is committed to supporting the Storm and Tonga forward,Sign up to Australia SportGet a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports deskafter newsletter promotion“The RLPA’s primary focus is ensuring Eli is getting the medical care and support he needs,” chief executive Clint Newton said,“The first and foremost priority is that Eli makes a full recovery for himself and his family.
“We will work collaboratively with the Storm and NRL in the best interests of Eli’s health and wellbeing.”Katoa, named in the competition’s team of the year at the Dally M awards, appeared to suffer a concussion in the warm-up for the Pacific Championship match.However, the powerful forward was allowed to play in the match, and suffered two more head impacts before coming off in the second half.Katoa’s condition deteriorated quickly, and he required oxygen on the sideline and was removed from the field on a medicab.The NRL has attempted to address concerns around head injuries in the sport in recent years, introducing crackdowns on high tackles and expanding the post-concussion stand down period.
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TotalEnergies buys €5.1bn stake in Czech tycoon’s power plants business
The Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský is to become one of the largest shareholders in TotalEnergies after selling a stake in his electricity generation business, which includes several UK power plants, to the French oil company.Křetínský, whose companies own stakes in Royal Mail and West Ham United football club, agreed to sell a 50% stake in his stable of European power plants to TotalEnergies for about €5.1bn (£4.5bn) in exchange for about 4.1% of Total’s share capital
Thames Water bidder says it is offering £1bn extra cash injection
A bidder for Thames Water has said it would inject £1bn more into the struggling utility company than rival proposals if it gained control.John Reynolds, the chief executive of the independent water retailer Castle Water, said the current plans under discussion with creditors to rebuild Thames Water’s finances did not go far enough and did not properly address its environmental crisis.Castle Water would provide a cash injection of at least £1bn over current proposals, he told the Times.“No one wants a restructuring that does not stick. The negotiations are not heading anywhere,” he said
WPP shares leap amid takeover bid speculation
Shares in WPP have risen sharply amid speculation that the advertising group could be the subject of a takeover by a rival or a private equity buyer.Its French rival Havas, which was listed on Euronext in Amsterdam in December and is controlled by the billionaire Vincent Bolloré, has reportedly held internal talks about a potential bid as WPP’s share price languishes at levels not seen since the mid-1990s.The company’s shares rose 11% on Monday, making it the biggest riser on the FTSE, after the Sunday Times report, which also suggested private equity groups Apollo and KKR had held internal discussions about certain WPP assets.However, Apollo has ruled out making a bid. KKR, which last year acquired WPP’s PR operation FGS Global, declined to comment
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