The Rock-Yerong Creek continue to build with the signing of Curtis Steele from Coleambally

The Magpies swooped on the signature of one of the Riverina's most explosive players after a recent move to Wagga meant a fifth year at Coleambally was unlikely.

TRYC will take on Marrar in Saturday's Farrer League grand final but are well underway with their preparations for 2023 with the re-signing of their six Canberra-based footballers and now the addition of Steele.

The 31-year-old revealed family was the driving factor behind his decision to choose TRYC.

"I've got family out there, cousins out there, the Cools and the Diessels, so that was the main reason," Steele said.

"I always promised I'd have a year with them before I hung the boots up and it just worked out with me moving back to Wagga to get an opportunity to do it."

Steele spent four years at Coleambally, where he spent time as co-coach before stepping aside from that role this season.

A four-time premiership player at Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong, Steele also spent two years at Hume League club Holbrook as assistant coach.

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TRYC co-coach Brad Aiken is thrilled to have landed someone with the experience and skill set of Steele.

"He's going to add that little bit of class to our midfield," Aiken said.

"Not that the boys that are in there haven't been doing a terrific job but he adds outside speed.

"He's probably going to add that little bit of midfield knowledge that we lack a little bit of as well. The boys that are in there have been doing a terrific job but they're pretty new to it. Someone like Steelie can add that little bit of knowledge and he can hopefully help our guys moving forward and teach them a few things.

"You can play him anywhere. He's actually very versatile. You can play him off a half-back flank, mid, forward.

"He's not a young man but I think he's still got a couple of good years left in him. Hopefully in a side that's in a bit more evenly balanced, he doesn't think he has to do as much. Not that he didn't have better footballers around him at Coleambally, I just think at The Rock, we've got a bit more of an even list and he doesn't have to front up every week and think he's got to have 30 touches. He can have 15 real good quality ones and he's doing his job."

Steele has already got to work with the Magpies, helping out on the reserve grade bench during last week's preliminary final. He will also be around the first grade squad this week leading into the grand final.

"I've had a bit to do with Steelie in rep footy and he's definitely going to add something to our side," Aiken said.

"He's got aspirations of coaching and who knows down the track when Rusty (Heath Russell) and I finish, if its next year or the year after that, wherever we sit, he might take on the job and he'll be well credentialed to do that. That saves the club going and looking elsewhere and hopefully by then he'll have earned the respect of the other players and can put his own spin on it.

"Getting another local too, it's another bloke to training. And who knows, with who he knows and what he knows, he might attract a few too.

"It's exciting. Obviously we've still got this year to finish off but signing the six boys from Canberra again and now Steelie, all the boys are hanging around, we're a long way ahead of where we were two years ago when we started and for us, as coaches, we can hit the ground running."

Steele said he thoroughly enjoyed his time at Coleambally and wished them all the best for the future.

"Loved it. Great club. I couldn't speak a bad word about them," he said.

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