Dan McKellar helps shape Brumbies' future as James Slipper re-signs

McKellar is entering his final season at the helm of the Brumbies before Larkham inherits the squad for the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific campaign.

The Brumbies have a raft of high-profile stars off contract at season's end and Larkham has sought out McKellar to leave his mark on the roster before he departs for a full-time post with the Wallabies.

McKellar's advice is set to be crucial, with Larkham to have eyes on both sides of the globe as the incoming Brumbies mentor pieces together a Super Rugby squad while chasing a trophy with Munster.

"They ask me my thoughts and my opinion on players. Stephen will have his own view on new players that will come in and the balance of the group that he has," McKellar said.

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"It's a collaborative approach, it always has been here. We just respect each other's opinions on footballers in general. We ask and share our thoughts.

"For 2023 and beyond, Stephen, Chris Tindall, Laurie [Fisher] and Rod [Seib] will make those final decisions around recruitment and retention.

"We talk reasonably often anyway, even just checking in with him to see how things are going at Munster. Before he was coming back here, it would be every couple of months we would have a chat. It's no different now, those conversations are probably more frequent.

"He's busy helping Munster have a successful year there, and I'm obviously busy here making sure we do the same at the Brumbies. Do we catch up every few weeks, once a month, we certainly do, and the wives probably talk more than that."

Among the players coming off contract in Canberra is loosehead prop Sio, who is locked in a battle with Slipper to wear the No. 1 jersey for the Brumbies' season opener against the Western Force on February 20.

Slipper has committed to the Brumbies and Australian rugby on the road to the 2023 World Cup, which could mark his farewell to football at the elite level, and the Test centurion is keen to play alongside Sio beyond this season.

"I've loved my time here and partnering up with Scotty has been a big part of that. Another year here and hopefully we can tag up again," Slipper said.

"We've obviously been on a little bit of a rotation throughout my time here and at no stage has the training eased up or anything.

"We've been going pretty hard at each other and trying to get the best out of each other in the four years I've been here. It's just been really enjoyable."

McKellar hopes Slipper's decision to re-sign with the Brumbies for one more season will help others to follow suit as the club prepares to ramp up contract negotiations.

Test-capped stars like Nic White, Tom Banks, Noah Lolesio, Pete Samu and Folau Fainga'a will all hit the market.

"It just provides other players that have got decisions to make a whole lot of confidence when you've got one of your senior players, one of your leaders, who wants to stick around and continue to be involved in this club and this program and help us win a Super Rugby comp, and help the Wallabies win a World Cup," McKellar said.

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