Hayne has been waiting three years for his chance to play in the NRL Auckland Nines, watching the tournament from the comfort of his lounge room – whether it be in Sydney or San Francisco – waiting for his chance.

The Gold Coast Titans superstar is a massive coup for the tournament that will be oozing with superstars given Hayne and Johnathan Thurston's commitment to play at Eden Park on February 4-5.

While his former Eels teammate Corey Norman won player of the tournament last year, Hayne believes Johnson is the standout sensation in the shortened format of the game.

"Shaun Johnson, for sure," Hayne said.

"I think, from a halves point of view, he's the most suited half to it. He's an absolute freak and an unbelievable touch football player. He'll be great to watch again because he's such a quality player."

As for Norman?

"The Normz, yeah, he did all right because a couple of the boys carried him," Hayne joked.

"Nah, he had a great tournament last year and to see the guys win it last year, it was awesome to see that."

While Hayne's Titans don't square off against the Eels in the group stage, there's a possibility he will line up against his former club later in the tournament.

He was unable to play in the NRL Auckland Nines when he was at Parramatta given he had only returned to training a month before after representing Australia in the Four Nations.

"The guys that went on tour the previous year, they didn't start back at training until January so they don't really let the guys on tour play in the Nines because they've only been back a month or so," Hayne said.

But Hayne, who is raring to go after his first full pre-season in recent memory, is excited to get his first taste of nines football next month.

"This year I've done a full pre-season and can get out there amongst it. I can't wait to be honest. I'm pumped. I remember last year watching it. It's something I'm really looking forward to," he said.

"Open field and unlimited interchange. It's an unreal concept and always wanted to get out there and play. I can't wait to get out there amongst it – it should be a great weekend. It's a lot more open, you'll see a lot more flare and risk taking. That's something that is a lot of fun and hopefully something that suits me. I've spoken to a few guys before about the atmosphere at Eden Park, the vibe around the whole place and how good the whole weekend is. It's going to be awesome.

"Over the last couple of years, seeing the Nines concept just grow and take the comp by storm, it's been something I've envied for a long time. To have the opportunity to go over there now, I'm looking forward to."