One week on, Eli Katoa remains in hospital. Tonga’s coach has been at his bedside every day

Tongan coach Kristian Woolf has remained in Auckland at Eli Katoa’s hospital bedside, vowing not to return home to Australia until he is confident his player will make a full recovery.

Woolf has visited Katoa every day since the back-rower was admitted to hospital to have fluid drained from his brain following a series of head knocks against New Zealand last Sunday week.

Sources with knowledge of Katoa’s condition said he had his best day yet on Monday. The expectation is that he will be well enough to leave hospital on Wednesday or Thursday. The 25-year-old, however, will need to remain in New Zealand until given clearance to fly home to Victoria.

Woolf could not be contacted on Monday night, but the same sources confirmed the coach had joined Katoa’s family and friends each day by the player’s bedside.

The Dolphins coach has been in charge of Tonga for more than a decade, and has developed a tight bond with Katoa.

One Tonga source, not authorised to speak on behalf of the coach, said Woolf did not feel comfortable leaving New Zealand while there were concerns about the health of one of his players. He also wanted to be there to support his family.

Eli Katoa was on the end of this sickening hit before the Tonga-New Zealand clash.Credit: Nine

There is a chance Woolf will be back home in Brisbane by Wednesday. Storm teammate Moses Leo was spotted visiting Katoa in hospital in recent days.

The NRL has investigated the circumstances that led to Katoa being allowed take the field after TV cameras captured a sickening collision between him and teammate Lehi Hopoate during the warm-up at Eden Park. Tonga officials said they were not made aware of the disturbing footage until after full-time, and said they would have quickly ruled him out had they seen it beforehand.

Two Tonga team doctors cleared him to play, but Tonga officials later asked the NRL why no one had alerted the same medicos to the TV vision, which was replayed early in the game and discussed by match commentators during the broadcast.

Katoa suffered two further head knocks during the match, passing a head injury assessment after being on the end of friendly fire from teammate Will Penisini in the tenth minute but then being taken from the field a second time following a knock while trying to stop Naufahu Whyte.

Tongan coach Kristian Woolf has remained in New Zealand at Katoa’s bedside.Credit: Getty Images

Whyte said on the weekend had he spotted a New Zealand player wiped out like Katoa was in the warm-up, he would have stopped him from playing – or at the very least informed a coach or staffer about what he had just witnessed.

The NRL’s Integrity Unit has already completed its investigation, but the findings will not be made public until they are confident Katoa will make a full recovery. Katoa was never well enough to be interviewed by the NRL.

Katoa posted a photo of himself from his hospital bed early last week, telling his Instagram followers: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

“Appreciate everyone for checking in, sorry I haven’t got back to any of you guys, but I really appreciate all the love and messages. Ofa atu.”

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