The NRL is close to finalising the long-proposed pre-season nines tournament that will kick-start the 2014 rugby league season. The inaugural competition will be held in Auckland in February and launch the NRL year.

After months of negotiations, it is understood the NRL will announce the tournament by the end of this month as it looks to finalise commercial deals. The two-day event will be at Eden Park, New Zealand's largest stadium, with players competing for a multimillion-dollar prize pool. The prize pool will be split between clubs and players.

Bulldogs fullback Ben Barba is suited to the faster format. Credit:Getty Images

All 16 NRL clubs will feature and must supply 12 of their top 25 contracted players within their 16-man squad. But the tournament may be robbed of some of its star quality with most of the World Cup players set to be ineligible because of the tournament's late finish this year. The World Cup final is on November 30.

Matches will comprise nine-minute halves in the nine-per side game and could see the likes of Ben Barba (pictured), Matt Bowen, Feleti Mateo and Nathan Merritt ignite the tournament. Fox Sports is expected to broadcast the tournament. NRL clubs are still expected to hold trials during that weekend for those players not playing.