Matthew Timoko couldn't get the win with Raiders in Aotearoa but he scored a typically powerful try and his upward trend continues. This upward trend has seen Timoko command Kiwi-NRL Spotlights in the two seasons prior to 2024 and there is a case to be made that Timoko is rolling our career-best mahi in his fifth NRL season.

Matthew Timoko Scouting Report

Matthew Timoko Blossoms

Matthew Timoko Keeps Getting Better

As laid out in previous Kiwi-NRL Spotlights for Timoko, he is an Otahuhu junior who also spent time with Ellerslie and Mt Albert while also playing 1st 15 rugby union for Auckland Grammar. Here is how Timoko's Kiwi-NRL career has blossomed...

2020: 2 games, 100m/game, 96.1% tackling
2021: 9 games, 2 try assists, 1 linebreak, 111m/game, 88.9% tackling
2022: 26 games, 9 tries, 5 try assists, 9 linebreaks, 109m/game, 87.9% tackling
2023: 25 games, 11 tries, 5 try assists, 14 linebreaks, 158m/game, 87.2% tackling
2024: 3 games, 1 try, 1 try assist, 2 linebreaks, 174m/game, 92.1% tackling

An indicator of Timoko's ability with the footy is that he entered the NRL averaging 100m and has hit that mark in all five seasons. The increase from 109m/game in 2022 to 158m/game in 2023 has blown out to 174m/game this season and his 135m vs NZ Warriors is the lowest tally of this season.

But Timoko did score a try vs NZ Warriors and like many of his NRL tries, it shows the value of having a top-tier centre on the edge. Raiders rolled out some basic shape to shift the footy to Timoko and this got him just outside Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, which is all Timoko needs to cause chaos.

Timoko earned an Aotearoa Kiwis debut last year and all stats were inflated in the 50-0 win over Samoa, so let's focus on Timoko's performance against Australia.

vs Australia: 1 try, 12 runs - 149m @ 12.4m/run, 1 linebreak, 3 tackle breaks, 14 tackles @ 82.3%

The Aotearoa Kiwis experience has boosted Timoko's mana and this rise coincides with the likely departure of Joseph Manu overseas. At 24-years-old Timoko has already played 65 games and is chasing his third season in a row playing 20+ games. Given how Timoko finished 2023 and how he has started this season, 2024 seems like the year in which Timoko settles as one of the best centres in the NRL.

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