The Papua New Guinea centre has rapidly gained a reputation as one of the NRL's hardest players with his bulldozing charges in attack and crash tackling defence

"We play the same footy, sometimes he runs straight, like for me I take space," centre Jackins Olam offered.

"Sometimes I do both, I run over (people) and I run around, whatever is comfortable for me, depending on the game, if I feel like I can run straight, I do it, and if I need to run around, I do that."

While it would be unfair to compare their resumes, if Jackins can bring a similar intenstity to his brother, who has quickly developed into one of the game's most damaging players, he will have opponents extremely wary.

"We don't talk about footy too much, to be honest, Justin and I aren't like brothers, we're like best friends," Jackins explained when quizzed on his sibling.

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Twenty-nine-year-old Jackins joined Newtown in the NRL's reserve grade in 2020, but played only two games until COVID struck.

"He was very much like his brother, similar build, he looked like a tank, I wondered where he ended up, he was too good a player to just disappear," Newtown director Glen Dwyer suggested.

He spent this year with Altona Roosters in Melbourne.

The Thunder hopes Olam's signing kick-starts the club after finishing second last with just three wins in the COVID-shortened season.

"We need to recruit to give the young fellas some guidance around the ground," coach Robbie Byatt revealed.

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