Fast forward four years and he's lacing up the boots in the front row for a Canberra Raiders Cup grand final against the Queanbeyan Kangaroos at Seiffert Oval on Sunday.

The 23-year-old played on the wing for the Blues in reserve grade before coach Ronnie Hoare took a gamble and chucked him in the middle.

It's paid off in spades and ultimately landed him a spot in Terry Campese's top grade side against a Kangaroos pack that is as "hard as nails" but he wouldn't have it any other way.

Neither would his dad Richard, although his mum usually has her hands over her eyes as they watch from the stands.

"[Dad's] always had it in the back of his head, he always wanted me to play footy," Stein said.

"He never really enjoyed soccer too much, he just enjoyed it because I played it. When I was about 19 I started to hit the gym a bit and I put on a bit of weight.

"I went from about 70 kilos to 110. I was getting yellow cards left, right and centre playing soccer and I thought 'nah this isn't for me. It's a bit soft so I'll go play a man's sport'."

Stein's jump from the round ball to wrecking ball is even more remarkable considering he wasn't going to play this season after last year's campaign was cut short.

A leg injury ended brought down the curtain on his 2016 season after just three games and he was going to give this year a miss as well.

But a highlights package and a punt by Hoare saw Stein rushing back to training.

"I was going to miss the whole season this season but I then saw the highlights of them playing their first game and I was like 'nah, I'm not missing this season'," Stein said.

"I came back and put on a bit of weight and 'Junior' [Hoare] said 'we'll chuck you in at prop to give you a run and see how you go'. I said 'yeah man, why not? I'll have a crack'.

"Junior had a bit of faith in me and I had a couple of good games, then Campo gave me a shot to play in firsts and I just took it with both hands."

The Blues will farewell front-rower Aaron McInnes after the decider with the veteran looking to ride off into the sunset with a premiership trophy in tow.

McInnes has fast-tracked Stein's development in the forwards and the apprentice is itching to give the master a perfect farewell.

Kangaroos captain-coach Aaron Gorrell is set to hang up the boots after the grand final and he'll be hoping Les McIntyre Medallist Brent Crisp arrives in town on Saturday morning.

Crisp has been named despite being in Darwin for work, and the Kangaroos have booked the star playmaker a flight home - it's just a matter of whether or not he gets on it.

CANBERRA RAIDERS CUP GRAND FINAL

Sunday: Queanbeyan Kangaroos v Queanbeyan Blues at Seiffert Oval, 3.30pm.