Shaun Johnson says he won't play as much in this weekend's Auckland Nines as he's done in previous years.

Johnson has been the Warriors captain in previous years, but for the 2017 edition that honour has gone to Ruben Wiki, who has briefly come out of retirement for the event.

Johnson remains one of the faces of the Eden Park event, but says he won't be on the field as much as previously because the upcoming trial games against the Storm and Titans are higher priorities.

GETTY Shaun Johnson's one of the poster boys of the Nines but considered not even playing.

"One thing Mooks (Warriors coach, Stephen Kearney) has made clear is that our focus is definitely the trial games and the start of our season," Johnson said on Wednesday, after a training session at Mt Smart Stadium.

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"We've been doing pretty much everything to get our season to start the right way, so Nines is in the background a bit.

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"Today was the first day we've been able to have a hit out on our own (as a Nines squad) and it was a good one. We ran through a few scenarios and I'm really looking forward to it."

The Warriors have always treated the Nines more seriously than the 15 other NRL clubs, because it's in their backyard.

But the club have pulled back from that point of view this year, there are fewer big name stars in the squad and those that are playing won't be in the field as much.

"I've had a few chats with the coaching staff and definitely my minutes are going to be reduced this time round," Johnson said.

"I probably haven't helped that in the past to be fair, I'm so competitive, I want to be out there all the time and I've really wanted to win the thing.

"I had a good crack at it last year, but took a knock and it had a bit of an effect on how my season went.

"I want to have a good NRL season and it's a long year, so minutes are definitely going to be restricted."

Johnson said he even contemplated not taking part in this year's Nines, although being one of the players being used to promote tickets, along with Jarryd Hayne and Johnathan Thurston, it wouldn't be a good look, or something that Duco would be happy about, if he didn't play.

"It definitely cross my mind [to not play]," he said.

"For me, it's so hard because I dreamt of them having a tournament here like this and for me to pull out of it and think about other things, I feel like this is such a key moment in rugby league in growing the sport in New Zealand, every time this rolls around.

"So I want to be there and I want to be a part of it growing and showing rugby league in a positive light. I know there are going to be kids disappointed if I didn't play and they make the game what it is.

"Even if it's limited minutes, at least I'm there, having a crack and then I can come off, recover and look forward to the start of the season."