New Zealand coach Michael Maguire focused solely on Kiwis, Matt Timoko says

He's also bringing out the best in Matt Timoko and allowing him to just be himself for his international debut against Samoa at Eden Park on Saturday.

Timoko has seen Maguire's coaching up close for the past year, the Kiwis coach spending the 2023 NRL season as an assistant at the Canberra Raiders.

Now he's in New Zealand camp with him, having been picked in the centres.

Maguire is expected to take over from Brad Fittler as the new NSW Blues State of Origin coach, but he's put discussions with NSWRL on hold until after his Pacific Championships campaign with the Kiwis.

He told The Canberra Times that's where his sole focus lies for the next few weeks.

If he does end up accepting the Blues job then it will end his time with the Raiders, with the board wanting their Canberra coaches to focus solely on the Green Machine.

He would go with the Raiders' blessing.

Timoko said Maguire had shut out the noise and was purely focused on getting the Kiwis ready for their upcoming Tests.

"We're not too sure what his plans are, but I know for sure he's dedicated to the Kiwis throughout this campaign and he hasn't brought up any of that kind of stuff over the week," Timoko said.

"He's been solely focused on us. You can tell just how passionate a guy he is ... you just know when he says he's 100 per cent with us he really means it.

"That's good to see that although he's got all this stuff affecting him on the outside he's not letting it affect him with us. We feel that and we're just training in the way he wants us to, and we've been really solid."

Timoko joked Maguire must have "calmed down" since his early days of coaching, where he got the reputation as an old-school taskmaster, because he hadn't been on the wrong end of any sprays.

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The 23-year-old had instead experienced a coach bringing out the best in him.

"Madge has been pretty good with us - I haven't really received a blow-up from him," he laughed.

"He must've calmed down a lot over the years because I've read a few stories, but they haven't come out.

"He's really good. He really drives standards. He is a hard-nose, but it's not in a malicious way.

"He knows how to bring the best out of you. He's all about finding combos and experimenting.

"He loves playing to the players' strengths and that's the thing I like about Madge.

"Although we've got all these boys who are way more experienced he still wants me to bring what I'm best at.

"It's given me confidence I don't have to change the way I play. I can still be me within this team."

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