Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham will swap his clipboard for boots to make a surprise appearance for the club at the pre-season Brisbane 10s tournament in February.

But Larkham's comeback is only temporary, despite the club still searching for a flyhalf to replace Christian Lealiifano and Matt Toomua.

The Brumbies will make an announcement on their Brisbane 10s wildcard player in January when the team returns to training after the Christmas break.

Larkham is likely to be the man to join his players as he prepares for the final year of his coaching tenure in Canberra.

The 102-cap Wallaby is clearly still a fan favourite, with Larkham taking the bulk of votes in a Canberra Times poll asking which former Brumby supporter's wanted to see play again.

Larkham left the Brumbies at the end of the 2007 Super Rugby season and retired from professional rugby in 2011.

However, World Cup-winning coach Jake White tried to lure Larkham out of retirement to help the Brumbies in the 2012 Super Rugby season when Lealiifano and Toomua were injured.

Two-time Super Rugby champion and World Cup winner Larkham considered that approach before turning it down to focus on his coaching career.

Larkham has been on the Brumbies' coaching staff since retiring in 2011, but will end his tenure at the end of next year to become a full-time Wallabies' assistant coach.

The Brumbies are still searching for a playmaker to fill the sizeable hole left by Lealiifano (illness) and Toomua (England) for the 2017 Super Rugby campaign.

Contract hopefuls Isaac Thompson and Wharenui Hawera will likely learn in the coming weeks whether they've done enough to impress while emerging star Nick Jooste is also an option.

The Brumbies were also keen to lure Matt Giteau back to Canberra, but the Wallabies veteran is committed to next season in France and unlikely to return to the capital.

Larkham's brief return will come as no surprise to most given the 42-year-old regularly trains in opposed sessions and can't shake his competitive spirit.

Larkham also still plays in the Canberra club competition when his schedule allows him to suit up for the Wests' fourth-grade side.

The Queensland Reds have turned for Larkham's former Wallabies teammate Chris Latham as their wildcard player for the Brisbane 10s.

Meanwhile, interim Brumbies boss Phil Thomson will end a 24-year career in rugby at the end of the year after opting not to return to his role as ARU Integrity Manager.

Thomson stabilised the Brumbies after one of the most turbulent years in the club's history.