Two years ago, Eliesa Katoa won over two of the best judges of talent and character in the NRL: Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy and the club’s football manager, Frank Ponissi.
Katoa, 24, grew up in the tiny, remote Tongan village of Koulo, which had just one television, and his nation’s focus was on rugby union, rather than rugby league.
Storm star Eliesa Katoa is making an impact for his side.Credit: Eddie Jim
His father died suddenly when he was a boy, and he realised that the best way to support his family – his mother Akanesi, two sisters and a brother – was through sport.
After completing year 11, he accepted a rugby union scholarship to Auckland’s Tamaki College where he played as a flanker (No.6) or the No.8 position, using his powerful frame and competitive streak to great effect.
But the NRL’s New Zealand Warriors pinched him from the 15-man game straight out of high school. He initially wowed them and earned a starting spot, but he couldn’t lock in a regular berth. Enter Melbourne Storm in 2022.
“It was a lot of moving,” Katoa said.
“If you know my story, my dad passed away when I was young so it was hard to move away from my mum and siblings, but it was the perfect opportunity to help look after my family.”
After being scouted by the Storm for a few weeks, Bellamy and Ponissi took the opportunity to meet him in Auckland, and were quickly convinced to make an offer – although Ponissi admits they didn’t predict Katoa would flourish as fast as he has at Melbourne, picked in this year’s NRL team of the season at the Dally M awards.
“I have to give credit to Paul Bunn, our recruitment manager, who watched him and thought he had some attributes that could help us,” Ponissi said.
“We were losing Felise Kaufusi, a right-handed second rower, and he just thought it was a really good like for like.
“Craig and I actually caught up with him in Auckland in 2022 when we played the Warriors over there, and he was a really impressive young man. We had a really good meeting, and we thought he was a player we wanted at our club.”
Katoa had his fingerprints on both of the Storm’s two finals wins this year, flying for pivotal high balls that led to tries against Cronulla, and making two decisive second-half tackles on Roosters superstar James Tedesco, one of which forced a turnover when a try was in the offing.
He will take centre stage in Sunday night’s NRL grand final, and he could again be the difference maker against the powerful three-time premiers Penrith.
“You don’t think about it during the game – it’s just part of your job to put pressure on them and with such quality players, you just want to take their time away,” Katoa said.
Storm forward Eliesa Katoa is sat on his backside by Penrith in last year’s preliminary final loss.Credit: Getty Images
Off-field, he is a thoughtful, considered and respected figure who studies the game as closely as anyone in the NRL.
“He’s so big for our club in terms of, he doesn’t always talk, but when he talks everyone listens,” said Storm star Harry Grant said.
“When he talks, it comes from a very thoughtful place, he’s a very deep thinker of the game, he studies all our training sessions. He studies the games, and he’s always got a very educated opinion on that which impresses me.”
Bellamy and Ponissi agree that Katoa’s signing may well be the best buy any team has made in recent seasons.
“Eli has been one of those players who came here, not with a great reputation but, geez, he has been outstanding for us,” Bellamy said after the preliminary final win.
“I don’t think there has been a better buy in the competition than what he’s done for us this year. I couldn’t have asked any more than what he’s given us.”
Katoa played internationally for Tonga in the off-season last year and returned to Storm training in elite condition, which has contributed to his stunning campaign of 12 tries from 24 games, along with 745 tackles with a 91.5 per cent tackle percentage.
But what the stats don’t show are the number of times he has swung the momentum in matches.
“He has just come here and excelled,” Storm prop Josh King said. “He’s been the difference in some of our games with what he can do on that edge. He’s big, physical and powerful but he is also quite fast and he’s got really good footwork.
“I think we’ve seen under the high ball the last few weeks, we’ve had some really good results from him. He’s on fire and been one of our best players this year.”
When Katoa joined the Storm, his hard-working attitude meant he fit in immediately. Early last season he had locked up Kaufusi’s old spot, but a poke in the eye left him needing surgery. He regained his place as the Storm were knocked out in the preliminary final.
“I’m grateful I got to experience this feeling last year when we made it to the preliminary final but came up short,” Katoa said.
Storm forward Eliesa Katoa attempts to fend off Penrith’s Jerome Luai in March this year.Credit: Getty Images
While Katoa’s rise has been something of a surprise, those who watch him closely at the Storm now have him shortlisted as a future leader of the club.
“We always had belief he would do well – how quickly he adapted was something of a surprise,” Ponissi said.
“But I will tell you what he is – he is a smart footballer. We see all the physical attributes, we see him running those great lines on the edge and his defence.
“He’s not scared to voice his opinion. I, personally, think he has leadership qualities. I see him, if he continues his development, I see him in the leadership group in years to come.”
Katoa calls his teammates his family for how they have helped him adjust to living alone in Melbourne.
“The majority of the group are not from Victoria so we all check in on each other or go do activities together outside of football,” Katoa said. “Play golf or go for coffee. Those little things are what I appreciate most from my teammates.”
But he hopes to remedy his family situation soon. His mum and siblings visited the city last year, and he hopes in the near future he can bring them out to Melbourne to live with him.
“I try to go to Tonga every year but last year they came to Melbourne,” Katoa said.
“It was the first time they ever left home or went somewhere else. That was special. My goal is to bring them over to stay with me for a long time. Hopefully, I will get to do that soon.”
With AAP
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