Timoko was already contracted until the end of 2022 and has signed on for a further two seasons with the Raiders.

The 21-year-old made his NRL debut in round 16 in 2020 against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, replacing an injured Curtis Scott.

He has made two appearances for the Raiders so far this season, but the Timoko said he was working hard to get himself back into the NRL side.

"Its great to be able to stay in Canberra, I love it here and I believe it's the best place for my career," he said.

"For me at the moment I'm happy to do whatever I need to do to help the team and I'll be working hard for the rest of this year and the next three to try and cement a place in the NRL side.

"I also wanted to stay and repay the club for everything they've done for me and my mum and by helping us make the transition to living in Canberra. It's our home now and we don't want to go anywhere else."

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The centre was lured to the capital after being spotted playing rugby union in his native New Zealand by Canberra's recruitment officer Peter Mulholland.

Raiders chief executive officer Don Furner said Timoko was an exciting young player, who had already shown signs of his potential.

"Matt is a great young player who has shown already that he can perform at the top level," Furner said.

"He's a player with plenty of potential and has a really good attitude and work ethic, so we're thrilled to extend his contract with the club."