NRL: Mateo's rise perfect timing

Feleti Mateo says he's learning to focus on his play and shut out "outside noise". Picture / Brett Phibbs

After a slow start to the year, interchange back-rower Feleti Mateo's recent eye-catching form is coming at the right time for the Warriors.

Earlier in the season, Mateo was dropped to the NSW Cup for a fortnight, when Andrew McFadden took charge as coach following Matt Elliott's exit after five competition rounds.

The ball-playing maestro found himself under fire from fans and critics, with many questioning the 30-year-old's fitness and desire to compete. He returned to the top grade to play a part in the Warriors' Anzac Day win over the Storm in Melbourne and his form has continued to improve in recent weeks.

"I'm getting better," Mateo said. "Obviously I've lost a bit of weight and my fitness probably wasn't at the standard it needed to be. I knew that and I've worked hard to try and get that right.

"I feel like I'm good now and it's just a matter of getting match fitness and having Cappy feel confident that he can leave me out there longer and to do the job and not let the boys down."

Against Brisbane, his arrival on the park late in the first half sparked the Warriors attack, with a sweetly delivered ball putting Ben Henry away for their first try. He went on to make 103 metres from 13 runs and made 18 tackles in an energetic and productive 35-minute spell.

Mateo will again start from the bench against Penrith, and while he is wanting to play more minutes, he says he is happy as long as he is making a contribution.

"It doesn't matter to me. At the moment, the way things are going, our forwards that start really get us going forward really well.

"We were a bit down on the weekend but recently the boys have been going really well," he said. "When I come on hopefully I can just take advantage of those inroads that the boys make and play a bit of footy."

After starting his NRL career with Parramatta in 2004, Mateo has learned to ignore any media hype, positive or otherwise, and says his focus is fixed on what his coach and teammates are striving to achieve.

"It's cliche but you don't listen to the media. It's easy to fall into the trap of listening to what gets written about you and what gets said about you but I think to be a professional in this job you have to listen to the people that matter, and that's your coach and teammates," Mateo said.

"In order for me to play good footy I just have to focus on what I can do better and not worry about the outside noise."