Kerevi was a key man in Queensland's 28-26 win over the Sharks in their Super Rugby clash on Friday night, smashing his way over for a pair of tries to present as a formidable strike weapon in a developing Reds back line.

The centre has improved as a footballer, but has also added some raw grunt thanks to Reds assistant Thorn, a legendary figure in the gym during his rugby league and rugby union careers on both sides of the Tasman.

The 42-year-old welcomes the Reds back to training each Monday not with a light-hearted game of touch but by tearing them to pieces in the weights room, where he still regularly shows up youngsters half his age by hoisting eye-watering amounts of iron.

Thorn refrains from the comforts of the refurbished gym in the Ballymore stands, instead preferring the raw surrounds of the tin shed near one of the nearby training fields.

Kerevi said it has been a huge cultural change as the Reds set the bar high - literally - at the start of the week as Thorn sets a punish agenda that demands a relentless pursuit of physical excellence.

"I'm the same size, but I'm a bit stronger," Kerevi said. "Thorny, the way he does gym, I don't know ... sometimes I don't know if I'm going to make it through. That's the reality of it.

"Especially on Mondays. You think you can come in and build into the week. For us it's the total opposite. We set the benchmark on Monday and taper at the end of the week. But even then the boys are pushing big tin."

Thorn watches the sets closely to ensure nobody is cutting corners and then finishes with a set of "optional" extras, which Kerevi said aren't particularly optional.

"It's about being excellent throughout the whole session," Kerevi said. "We try to push the best tin. He watches each rep to make sure we have the best form. After the whole gym session, we have optional barbell. He says it's optional."

Even in retirement, Thorn still wanders around Ballymore with the sort of physique that could see him as a stunt double for Thor. Kerevi said he wants the players to wear singlets in the weights room so they can check out their gains.

"The culture he sets in the gym and as a person, he wants us to be excellent every day," Kerevi said. "It really rubs off. Even George Smith is in there saying 'nobody is stronger than me'. It's a really good culture.

"He wants us wearing singlets all the time, looking in the mirror and be proud we're pushing big tin."

Kerevi has become a target for the Reds close to the line, with their halves looking for him at every opportunity if they can get quick ball. It's a set-up the Fijian-born star enjoys and he said he was hungry for more tries in 2017.

"It's not really pressure," Kerevi said. "I like running hard and when I'm close to the line, I can smell it. For me, it's about being consistent with my timing. Front foot ball is lovely and that's all I want."