Retired NRL star Justin Olam targets leadership role with new PNG Chiefs
As a boy, Justin Olam’s village in PNG would have to write letters to neighbouring towns to organise rugby league matches. Now he wants to help build a pathways system for the country’s first NRL team.
Justin Olam grew up in Gon, a remote village in the mountains of the Chimbu Province in Papua New Guinea with no electricity let alone access to an organised sport.
Villagers would have to write letters to neighbouring communities to arrange a game of rugby league, then would walk hours to take part or just watch the match.
“When I was growing up there were no proper rugby league pathways,” Olam said.
“I grew up in a village where when it rained you could only get up the mountain in a four-wheel drive.
“We don’t have electricity there but we are blessed with running water because we have a spring.
“It was a very basic village life. You farm your food and cook on the fire.
“If you were lucky enough to have a generator, you would have light.
“Some people have solar energy but that’s if you have money to pay for it.”
As a 19-year-old, Olam eventually made his way to the Lae Snax Tigers, a semi-professional team in PNG’s Digicel Cup, a stopover on a journey that led the hard-hitting centre to the NRL, where he carved out an impressive career with the Melbourne Storm and Wests Tigers before injuries took their toll.
Now Melbourne-based Olam, who has a degree in physics and a coffee importation business, is ready to come out of his forced rugby league retirement, putting his hand up to join the management team of new NRL franchise, the Papua New Guinea Chiefs.
The ARL Commission is seeking to fill the final seat on the new franchise’s board after powerful businessman Wapu Sonk, the boss of PNG’s national oil company, was asked to stand down amid corruption allegations.
The Chiefs board is chaired by former Canterbury boss Ray Dib with Lorna McPherson, Richard Pegum, Stan Joyce, Ian Tarutia and former Storm star Marcus Bai holding seats as directors.
Olam, a premiership winner at the Storm with 117 games of NRL experience, wants to use his knowledge of the game and cultural awareness to help build the foundations of the fledgling club.
“I’m not the type to put myself out there but I’m open to doing whatever is necessary to help, if the team needs me I’m here to help,” Olam told this masthead.
“In saying that, those leading the team have my full support, including Mr Dib.
“I want to help Papua New Guineans in any way I can.
“I have learned a lot about the game over the years during my time at the Storm and the Tigers, and if I can share that knowledge to help with the people back home then that is something I want to do.
“I understand both cultures. I think that will be beneficial when it comes to helping players from back home navigate their transition into the NRL.”
PNG PATHWAYS CONCERNS
Rugby league pathways in Papua New Guinea is of particular interest to Olam, who was forced into a medical retirement in March this year.
While the NRL is planning to unveil the Chiefs in 2028, Olam has warned that pathways systems in the country are still severely underdeveloped.
“That pathways part is massive and it’s missing in the game back at home,” Olam said.
“Their pathways systems are still very early in adoption. We have seen some great strides but we need more resources and opportunities to learn the basic skills of rugby league, especially programs that are integrated with schools and grassroots football. Some of this is now being addressed through PNGRL and Mr Dib’s team.
“If you grew up in a village you don’t know where the next step is for you, if you want to continue.
“When they root down a proper pathways, I think the amount of talent coming through will be booming.”
FALLBACK PLAN
Despite PNG being a rugby league-mad nation where its players are sporting heroes, Olam knew the opportunity to pursue a professional NRL career was limited.
So he had a back-up plan – an applied physics degree, specialising in electronics and instrumentation.
“I’d probably be working in computer programming, control processing if I didn’t end up in the NRL,” Olam said.
“Physics is flexible. You can definitely do either mechanical and electrical.
“But I loved science growing up too, I actually wanted to be a doctor.”
After graduating with his four-year physics degree in 2015, Olam moved from his remote village to Port Moresby, where he joined with the PNG Hunters in the Queensland Rugby League.
By Christmas in 2016, he was taking part in one of Craig Bellamy’s infamously gruelling pre-seasons after being signed on a two-year deal to Melbourne.
“It was definitely a culture shock, I’m not a city boy,” Olam said.
“The biggest thing for me was the language barrier.
“I was speaking the local language and pidgin. English was completely foreign to me and I had to learn it all over again. Even though I went to university, my English wasn’t excellent but the Storm were patient and they helped me out a lot with that.”
He mastered the language as quickly as he built a reputation in the NRL as a force to be reckoned with on the back of his bone-rattling tackles and fearless runs.
TOUGH TIME AT THE TIGERS
After a title victory in 2020, and 104 games for Melbourne, Olam signed a three-year deal to join the Wests Tigers from 2024.
It was short-lived.
Injury limited Olam to just 13 games for the Tigers in first season at Concord.
In March 2025, he was medically retired.
Nine months later, Olam feels like his mind is ready to attack another season, but his body is not on the same page.
“Mentally, I’m still ready to play,” Olam said.
“I want to play but basically, my body, my knees, are not allowing me to play. I had knee injuries (last year) and in the pre-season my knees would get sore. After games I was struggling to walk. I couldn’t go up the stairs.
“The cartilage in both knees it’s pretty much gone, it was bone on bone in both knees.
“I still can’t run at the moment. I’m still young and I didn’t want to risk having knee replacements.
“I guess I have made peace with it. I’m blessed to have been able to play over 100 games in the NRL and represent my country.
“I can’t complain, everything is God’s plan.”
COFFEE GAME
The 31-year-old is making the most of the new-found freedom that was forced onto him in recent months.
Olam, who is based in Melbourne, has a coffee import/export business in the works called Paramone.
Coffee is one of PNG’s most significant agricultural exports, providing a source of income for small villages like the one in which Olam grew up.
“As a young man back home, when you grow into your teens you go and you grow coffee,” Olam said.
“It helps people in the villages to pay for children’s school fees.
“Once a year when people in the village sell their coffee, they make money to buy basic needs such as clothes.
“Back home, a pot of coffee is always on the fire.”
Olam is hoping the new venture will not only help support his village back home but the foundation he is also hoping to launch in the near future.
“If I can get the coffee business up and running, hopefully that will also help support people back in the village and the foundation I want to build,” Olam said.
“My goal is give back to the community. I’m working on projects aimed at helping young people back home.
“Hopefully I can team up with organisations, whether it’s the NRL, government and even ex-players too.”
CHIEFS IMPACT
Like his own ambitions to give back, Olam believes the Chiefs will have a positive ripple effect in helping to tackle some of the societal issues facing PNG communities.
“I think in the long-term, it will help with a lot of social issues like alcohol abuse, it will create job opportunities, it will help tourism as well,” Olam said.
“Then there’s the women’s game, it’s growing in PNG. It is helping combat issues like domestic violence.
“I think the ramifications are going to be far wider than just giving young people from PNG a chance to play professionally, but also have societal impacts.
“For younger people, by bringing a rugby league education into schools, then it will help educate them on leading a healthy lifestyle. It will help young people be more disciplined.
“Rugby league requires discipline.”
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Originally published as Retired NRL star Justin Olam targets leadership role with new PNG Chiefs
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