IT has been a while coming, but Bathurst Panthers look like they will have some extra intimidation factor up front when they host Oberon tomorrow in a must-win Group 10 premier league affair.

The club will unveil a new signing against the Tigers in the form of Fijian international Osea Sadrau, who represented his country at the 2008 and 2013 World Cup tournaments.

He had originally been in Panthers’ sights to start earlier in the year, but his commitments with the national team as they tried to qualify for the Four Nations competition kept him busy.

In the interim, the club had acquired the services of Osea Uluinaceva who had played in Fiji Residents sides with Sadrau in the past, but his stay has been a short-lived one and he has returned to Fiji.

His namesake brings with him some genuine firepower and a resume that matches, if not betters, the majority of the competition.

Since debuting for his home country six years ago he has been in and around the squad. Having faced the Kangaroos at Test level, he is a player with genuine pedigree.

The majority of his club football in recent years has been played in France with AS Carcassone in the Elite One Championship, the main domestic competition in France. He won a premiership in 2011-12.

After starting with the Saru Dragons of Lautoka in his home nation, his only other regular club football in Australia was with the Fassifern Bombers in the Ipswich Rugby League competition.

“This is the player we were after from the outset, but he was a bit tied up with the Four Nations stuff and now he’s free for the rest of the season, which is obviously something we’re pretty happy about,” club official Danny Dwyer said.

“He’s only arrived in Bathurst this week, we’re still showing him around and giving him an idea of what it is like out here. He says it’s pretty good so far.

“This is a guy who has played against the very best there is on offer and played at a high level during his career in France as well, so hopefully he will be a major asset in the second half of the season.”

Though there is no area on the park where Panthers look especially weak – they have had strong contributions from just about every position at some point this season – it has been rare that more than a couple of players have gelled at a time.

Provided captain Brent Seager continues his outstanding form in the front row, having a player like Sadrau making a similar contribution alongside him will make a huge difference to a team who need to lift desperately if they are to make the finals.

“We’ve definitely been on the look out for someone to fill that role up front, we lost both Matt Kirkland and Simon Osborne before the season started and James Higgins was stopped by work commitments,” Dwyer said.

“As far as getting another prop from within the Group, there weren’t a lot of options, so to get someone like this is great.”

Already even with just one brief training session under his belt, Sadrau had impressed coach John Fearnley.

“Just seeing him line up for certain drills and watching the angles and position of his runs, you could tell that this bloke is a serious footballer,” he said.

Last week’s loss to Orange Hawks and Oberon’s defeat at the hands of Lithgow Workies makes tomorrow’s match a must-win for both teams.

Kick-off tomorrow will be at 1.30pm at Carrington Park.

BATHURST PANTHERS: 1 Cody Robbins, 2 Chris Shephard, 3 Mitch Davis, 4 William Kennedy, 5 Josh Small, 6 Matt Rose, 7 Blake Dean, 8 Brent Seager, 9 Matt Woolmington, 10 Osea Sadrau, 11 Matt Rose, 12 Blake Lawson, 13 Blake Seager.