PARRAMATTA flyer Jarryd Hayne has made the telling admission that the significant personal revolution he has experienced during Fiji's dream run in this World Cup would not have materialised had he been playing for Australia.

Hayne looms as the Kangaroos' main obstacle between an expected final berth and a shock elimination in Sunday night's semi-final at the Sydney Football Stadium.

After being picked in coach Ricky Stuart's 46-man squad but omitted from the final group of 24, Hayne has revelled for the competition's surprise packets. It has helped engineer an inner renaissance, including the troubled star finding God and a head space light years from that night in the pre-season when he and Eels teammates Weller Hauraki and Junior Paulo were shot at in Kings Cross.

"It's crazy," Hayne told the Herald. "Missing out on playing for Australia - and playing for Fiji - has been a blessing in disguise. Looking at the situation, if you asked me four weeks before the Australian team was selected, who I wanted to play for, it was an easy decision. It would've been Australia. But to be able to open up and let go of the demons that I did in this side has helped me in ways I don't think I would've got if I was playing for Australia."

Hayne said he had been rejuvenated since being involved with the Fijian squad, which consists of relative no-names with the exception Newcastle winger Wes Naiqama, Broncos prop Ashton Sims and Bulldogs centre Daryl Millard. Reputation, he says, means nothing to them.

"Fear's not a factor. The game doesn't scare us," Hayne said. "There's more things in life than a football game. Playing against France, there were guys on 10 times the money we're on. Things like that doesn't phase my teammates. That's something that just helps the team. It doesn't matter who we play."

Australia, meanwhile, have devoured New Zealand, England and Papua New Guinea. "Watching their games, the other teams seemed to be in awe of what they're doing," Hayne said. "England didn't even look dangerous. We want to get that out of our game and not just be there to make the numbers."