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Canberra Raiders centre Matt Timoko has delivered a clear and uncompromising message as the club prepares for the 2026 NRL season: last year’s success means nothing unless standards rise again.
Despite Canberra claiming the 2025 minor premiership — just the second in the club’s history — Timoko insists there can be no reliance on past formulas. The disappointment of a straight-sets finals exit remains fresh, and he believes it has shaped the intensity of the current preseason.
“We can’t just rely on the old habits that got us to where we were last year to get us there this year,” Timoko said.
“That’s why the training has been ramped up… It’s all about everyone levelling up.”
The hurt of falling short in September still lingers for the 23-year-old, but he has channelled that frustration into motivation rather than regret.
“It still kind of haunts me to this day, what could have been in that season,” Timoko admitted.
“But at the same time, I have used it as fire… It is a clean slate this year.”
That renewed edge has been sharpened by fierce competition across the squad, with no player guaranteed a spot as the Raiders transition into a new phase under Ricky Stuart.
“Stick said from the start there’s no positions that are safe… it’s healthy competition and it’s only going to drive us to get better,” Timoko said.
Adding further fuel has been recent external rankings that placed Canberra’s forward pack eighth heading into 2026 — a judgment many fans and analysts have questioned given the Raiders’ strong defensive metrics and tackle efficiency last season.
Whether fair or flawed, the assessment has only strengthened the squad’s resolve. For Timoko and his teammates, the message is simple: benchmarks have been set, but nothing will be handed to them. If the Raiders are to go further in 2026, it will be because they have lifted again — and earned it all over again.
