SIGNED AND SEALED . . . junior development camp participant Joe Taylor, 14, of Emerald grabs Cowboy David Faiumu's autograph during a break in proceedings at JCU yesterday

But with Cowboys NRL players lending a hand at the Queensland Rugby League' annual junior development camp at James Cook University, that experience just got better.

Junior players from all over the State and even Darwin have descended on Townsville for the 21st staging of the six-day live-in camp.

QRL Education and Development manager Robert Moore said coaches have been taking players, aged between 13 and 17, through the fundamentals of the sport.

"They cover all the skills of the game," Moore said.

"We try and make sure that our coaches do things with them that they may not necessarily get at normal club training _ to try and extend the kids a little bit.

"Then, in the evening they play a modified tag football game . . . where the coaches reinforce the skills they have learned in a game situation."

Since yesterday Cowboys players, including Sione Faumuina, David Faiumu, John Williams and Mark Henry, have helped the coaches take the potential stars of the future through their paces.

"They love it," Moore said.

"These kids come from all over (Queensland) and a lot of them that don't have any access to the Cowboys players and have never been in a situation where they are able to talk to them and be coached by them, so it's great for them."

However, it is not all fun and games.

The senior and development squads are given a taste of exactly what their NRL heroes go through every day.

"The younger kids are pretty much on the paddock most of the time but the older kids have access to gyms, swimming programs, ice baths," Moore said.

"They have a bit of input with the Cowboys with their programs as well.

"We try and take those kids to a point where they could walk into a development squad at an NRL club and not be out of place."

With the skills the teenagers are learning, Moore said some members of the camp might not be too far away from achieving their dream.

"It's not a recruiting camp by any means but it is amazing, there are so many networks in the game now that kids get found out about and these types of camps are a fair place for kids to stand out, that's for sure," he said.

As well as catering for the kids, the camp is a training facility for coaches looking to make it in the senior ranks.

Former Cowboys Shane Muspratt and Chris Sheppard are tackling the course as they attempt to earn their certificate two qualification ahead of their respective coaching roles with QRL teams Mackay and Cairns.

"What that entails is two and half days of lectures and then they work with the kids," Moore said.

"They are assessed on sight by one of the senior coaches here and by the end of the week, if they are deemed competent, they go away with their senior club coach certificate."