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Tonga forward Eli Katoa is stable in hospital as he recovers from surgery after suffering "seizure activity" during Sunday's Pacific Championships match against New Zealand.
The 25-year-old played in the game at Auckland's Eden Park despite suffering a significant blow to the head in the warm-up when team-mate Lehi Hopoate accidentally caught him in the face with his shoulder.
He then suffered two more blows during the match. He passed a head injury assessment (HIA) after the first, but did not return to the field after the second.
His condition worsened as he sat on the bench, with television footage showing him being fitted with an oxygen mask before being put on a stretcher.
It is unclear whether he had an HIA after the blow sustained during the warm-up.
"Eli Katoa was taken to hospital after suffering seizure activity on the bench during the second half of yesterday's Pacific Championships match between Tonga and New Zealand," his club Melbourne Storm said in a statement., external
"Eli underwent surgery overnight and is in a stable condition being supported by his partner and mother. Storm medical staff remain in close contact with the hospital and Tonga's team chief medical officer."
Seizure activity can refer to the prelude to a seizure.
In a news conference after the match, which New Zealand won 40-14, Tonga head coach Kristian Woolf defended the team doctors, saying everything was "done by the book".
"We've got two very experienced doctors there. They've done their usual HIA. He's passed all that and passed all that well," Woolf said.
"My job is not to question doctors. They were both comfortable with that and comfortable with him coming back on to the field.
"So I don't think there's anything to worry about there in terms of the process."
Katoa posted a social media message from his hospital bed on Monday, accompanied by a picture of a drip in his arm.
"Appreciate everyone for checking in," he wrote on Instagram.
"Sorry I haven't got back to any of you guys but I really appreciate all the love."
New Zealand's victory means they will face Samoa in Sunday's Pacific Championships final in Parramatta, Australia.
