But Colby Faingaa wants to ensure he retains bragging rights as he prepares for the second last family battle at AAMI Park.

Saia and Colby Faingaa will play against each other when the Brumbies play the Melbourne Rebels in an Australian derby.

They hope Saia's twin Anthony will be fit to make a comeback when the Brumbies play the Rebels again on June 3 in Canberra.

The Brumbies had a secret plan to have all three brothers playing together for the first time in their careers and the stars almost aligned last year.

Saia and Anthony made the decision for a Super Rugby homecoming by leaving the Queensland Reds last year to join the Brumbies almost a decade after they left.

Colby was hoped to be the final piece of the puzzle in Canberra and the door was open for a Faingaa hat-trick when the Brumbies viewed the flanker as a recruitment option.

But instead of teaming up, Colby re-signed with the Rebels and the family rivalry is nearing its end after Saia was linked to a move to England at the end of the year.

"It would have been awesome to get that over the line ... but it's not that simple and there are a lot of factors go into decisions," Colby Faingaa said.

"We always did want to play together and I guess there was a bit of a chance there.

"We've been playing against each other in Super Rugby every year since 2010 ... it's going to be quite sad when it ends.

"I think I'm pretty far ahead on bragging rights, but these games are always an exciting time for the family.

"I hadn't really thought about this match that way, but it will be the first time I've played against the Brumbies and Saia or Anthony has been playing for them."

The Brumbies-Rebels clash will take on extra significance for the Faingaa family.

It's the first time the brothers have played against each other since their father, Saia Faingaa senior, died on the eve of the first game of the season.

It rocked the tight-knit family, especially because Saia senior was the driving force in his sons chasing their rugby dreams.

Saia and Anthony made their Super Rugby debut in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

But by the time Colby broke into the Brumbies side in 2010, Saia and Anthony were entrenched at the Reds.

By the time Saia and Anthony returned, Colby had established himself as a star in Melbourne.

Now Colby hopes to spoil the family party again as the Rebels attempt to regroup after a disastrous start to the season.

The Melbourne side is also fighting to avoid the Super Rugby axe as the ARU weighs up whether to cut the Rebels or the Western Force from the competition.

The uncertainty has left players and their families in limbo, but toppling the Brumbies - who have won 10 Australian derbies in a row - would send a message to the ARU.

"It has been frustrating and the uncertainty is stressful. But realistically, we're going to play no matter what the ARU decides," Faingaa said.

"Some guys have been thinking about it but it's more about the way we play and achieving what we want to.

"Our issue you at the moment is closing out games ... we switch off and guys are learning that if you do that for just a second, that's all it takes for teams to strike.

"We've shown that we can play, but it's about being able to string it together for longer periods of times without lapses."