The chance for a full pre-season means star playmaker Johnathan Thurston will be part of the North Queensland Cowboys' defence of their Auckland Nines rugby league title.

The Australian and Queensland five-eighth missed the inaugural tournament in February and he indicated at the time that, with a long year ahead, he was unlikely to be involved in the 2015 event either.

But Thurston became one of a number of incumbent Kangaroos forced out by injury from the Four Nations, which reaches its climax with the final between New Zealand and Australia in Wellington on Saturday.

"Since I got ruled out, it's obviously given the body a break," the 31-year-old said in Auckland on Friday.

"I'll be able to have a pre-season under my belt and I'll be right to play."

The Nines will be at Eden Park on January 31 and February 1, and Thurston said that, like the NRL All Stars fixture, players couldn't go into the tournament on the back of two or three weeks' preparation.

"You need a good month at least under your belt to make sure you're strong enough and you're fit enough, otherwise you start having serious injuries," he said.

Thurston, who withdrew from the Four Nations because of a shoulder complaint, said he was feeling in good shape ahead the start of off-season training next week.

The Cowboys co-captain was no longer getting pains in the shoulder and was able to sleep through the night, which hadn't always been the case during the season.

Meanwhile, the 31-Test Thurston is tipping Australia to retain the Four Nations crown.

He said the inexperience in the ranks probably showed in the 30-12 pool defeat to the Kiwis in Brisbane three weeks ago, but Australia had progressively improved since then.

"I think the Kangaroos coaching staff have got the balance right," he said.

"You've seen the boys get confident playing alongside each other every week the tournament has progressed and I think their best is still come."