Lehi Hopoate breaks silence on sickening Eli Katoa hit

1 month ago 19

Manly winger Lehi Hopoate said if he had his time over, he would have tried to convince Tongan teammate Eli Katoa not to play in that controversial clash at the end of last year, which jeopardised the Storm back-rower’s career.

Hopoate accidentally collided with Katoa before a Pacific Championships game against New Zealand last November.

Manly winger Lehi Hopoate takes time out in a friendly match-up against St George Illawarra on Friday.

Katoa suffered two further head knocks against New Zealand, then needed to be rushed to hospital where emergency surgery released fluid on his brain.

The back-rower will miss the entire 2026 NRL season with the Melbourne Storm. There is an outside chance he will not play again.

Hopoate received online abuse once the sickening vision was circulated, with his famous father John telling this masthead at the time: “Lehi is hurting, 100 per cent he is – he’s feeling for Eli. He’s been copping it from people asking, ‘Why did you take out your teammate?’ and, ‘Why were you trying to take him out with your shoulder?’

“I’m just lucky Lehi doesn’t read any of that crap. I’ve told all my kids they need to have thick skin. That TV footage showed Lehi hitting Eli, but it never showed how both of them were going for the ball.

Lehi Hopoate has received online abuse following his pre-game collision with Eli Katoa.

“Lehi was catching bombs in the warm-up, the backs were doing their own thing, the forwards were doing their own thing, but then Eli chased a bomb out of nowhere. They crashed, but it was completely accidental.

“I watched the whole thing. I thought Eli was in trouble. But he was cleared by two doctors – not one, but two doctors – and how can you [second-guess] what the doctors do?”

Speaking for the first time about the pre-match incident at Eden Park, Hopoate told this masthead he would have spoken up if he had his time over.

“I had mixed emotions because I was at fault for what happened to Eli with his first concussion,” Hopoate said.

Eli Katoa was on the end of this sickening hit with Lehi Hopoate before the Tonga-New Zealand clash.

“We were both going for the high ball, we didn’t see each other and then clashed.

“I knew [he was not well]. I kept checking on him. For him, because he had the red [Tongan] jersey on, he felt like he owed it to the boys [to play].

“I messaged him a few weeks ago to see how he’s going. I’ve sent him a few gifts. I saw Melbourne did a post about him [on Instagram] being back on the field and running.

“[As for the social-media abuse], I didn’t fall into that negativity. I was sweet.”

When pressed if he would have encouraged Katoa to sit the game out if faced with the same predicament, Hopoate said: “Yeah, definitely.”

Whether Katoa should have played was never going to be the responsibility of a teammate who turns 21 on Monday.

The NRL came down hard on two Tongan doctors and two trainers, with penalties ranging from formal warnings to a two-year ban. Some inside the Tongan camp remained frustrated the footage of Katoa and Hopoate colliding was beamed on the TV coverage early in the game, but not relayed to anybody in the coaching box.

Coach Kristian Woolf was so concerned about Katoa that he remained in Auckland for more than a week so he could visit him in hospital each day.

Hopoate tried to escape the Eden Park drama by heading to Bali for a holiday with friends a few days later, only to arrive at Sydney airport and realise he had left his passport in the washing machine.

The Manly junior played fullback for Tonga, and while he has been touted as Tom Trbojevic’s No.1 successor on the northern beaches, Hopoate said he was more than content playing left wing outside Tongan teammate Tolu Koula.

Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold checked in on Hopoate at the time of the Katoa clash and was grateful the youngster had such a healthy support network.

“I’ve admired Lehi’s perseverance and resilience since he came into grade,” Seibold said.

”He came in for a six-week train-and-trial [at the end of] 2023, he did such a good job we extended it to a 12-week trial, then we extended that so we could take him to Vegas with the NRL squad.

“He got our player’s player on debut when we beat the Storm at Brookie.

“This year I want him to concentrate on the wing position; he’s setting himself up to have his best year, which is what we’re aspiring to. He’s just a good kid and is so coachable.”