D'Arcy Waldegrave: Sportstalk host on the investigation into Eli Katoa's head knocks

The NRL will look into Tonga's handling of Eliesa Katoa's head injury assessment.

The news comes after he suffered seizure activity and brain bleeding following three knocks in the space of 90 minutes in the build-up and during the league test defeat to New Zealand on Sunday.

He underwent surgery in Auckland yesterday.

Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave recapped what we know so far.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Darcy water Grave sports stalk coasters with me. Dars such
a good Kiwi word that isn't it stink? And I
love that, Yeah, because you use it a lot. I
definitely record you using cricket with a guy who was
doing law and he was in a courtroom watching the
proceedings and a judge passed down a decision for this

(00:23):
young fellow being caught doing something stupid. He goes, do
you have anything to say for yourself? And you mean, yes,
stink judge. I also think it's it's probably a strong
marker that you come from South or West Auckland, like
yourself and myself. Yeah, well I'm kind of from Christian
to Westalk. Anyway, Where were we? Ali Katoa, I know

(00:44):
what's happened here? We surgeries? Well what he got three
knocks to the head, and the big thing about this
is eventually surgery. Yeah. Well he's been in and he's
had some fluid removed from his brain. Apparently he's okay.
He's been on social media saying, look, I can't get
back to anyone. I'm sorry about that because he's obviously
recovering from having holes cut in his head. I don't

(01:04):
know to find the details of brain surgery. But what
happened Lehi Hoppow White? They're one of his teammates right
before the game started, collided with him. Look at the video,
shoulders straight to the chin and that would have knocked
your average human out. But he's wobbly. But because it
didn't happen within the confines of the game, the independent

(01:25):
doctor couldn't go and do anything. And then their doctors
possibly didn't see it. So they're like, are you okay?
I'm fine? Well, what's up with him that he personal responsible?
You think a lot of rugby players, yeah, would go, oh,
it's okay, we'll just you know, throw it on playing internationally.
But this is yeah, so would has made White he

(01:47):
said anything? What if anyone said we don't know, there'd
be more of an investigation. Sure, But what happens when
he get his well, then the way it knocked him down,
you'd suggest he'd be Hi straight at the park. He would.
Then he in and again, then he got had again
and that while I'm something rotten, but that was that.
He got an HIA inspection, but he was okay. Then
he came back on again. There was a third one

(02:09):
when he was The first two are friendly. Five the
third woman's son white, and he got cleaned out again
and he went and got an HI means you can't
come back. So that was that. But he should have
got the first time. And I struggle to feel sorry
for people if they don't have personal responsibility. We don't know,
you've got a whack to the head. I don't feel

(02:29):
I'm going back in again. I mean it's a very
manly thing to do. Is hard nuck, and he can't
lay it all with him because he really wanted to play.
The problem is the ruling within rugby league that says
the independent doctor has nothing to do with it and
tell the whistles blown to start the game. That's the problem.

(02:49):
If he had have been looked at beforehand, or an
independent dropped fighting around the look at that, it might
have been different. The thing is to see the pictures
of it. He looks terrible. We really feel for the guy.
I mean he's an absolute weapon of a player too.
The thing here is their professionals, they're surrounded and help.
He got into an ambulance and he got out and
he got This happens at a lower level. This happens

(03:12):
with club rugby or club rugby league. Go ahead and
go to sleep with the headache. Don't wake up. This
is why moms don't want to let their sons play
rugby and we'll be talking about that with Paulhu Harris
and the Night. Thank you, Darcy, let me get to this,
Darcy water Grave Sports Coast to be back at seven
for more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen live to

(03:32):
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