All full ... A mini moke barely holds forwards Anthony Tupou, Anthony Watmough, Brent Kite and Craig Fitzgibbon. / The Sunday Telegraph

Packed in with the footballs, bottles of Gatorade and training programs, Australia coach Ricky Stuart flew to Townsville last week holding a promise made to his players 23 days ago.

"It was all on the proviso of performance,'' Stuart said.

"Hard work deserves recognition.''

The Sunday Telegraph was granted unrestricted access to the Australian team camp last week as Stuart delivered on his word.

In a bid to instill team spirit and pride and passion for the Australian jumper, Stuart would allow his players a day in tropical seclusion. But there was a proviso: that they destroy pool rivals New Zealand and England in their opening two games.

With a combined winning scoreline of 82-10, the Australian World Cup squad took in Melbourne Cup day at Townsville Races on Tuesday before heading to Magnetic Island, in far North Queensland, just after 10am last Wednesday.

There they left the pressures of tournament favouritism - and today's match against Papua New Guinea - back in Townsville, if only for a day.

Neither Stuart nor the playing group arrived expecting to witness such an uplifting view; a smiling Johnathan Thurston.

Just 48 hours after the funeral of his uncle Richard Saunders, the day with team-mates was the perfect tonic for Thurston as he left the stress and grief of the past fortnight behind him.

Hiring Mini Mokes as their mode of transport around the island, Thurston's cackle could be heard over his team-mates as Kangaroos debutant Anthony Watmough revealed his greatest fear wasn't tonight's clash with the Kumuls, but squeezing his 97kg frame behind the steering wheel.

Dozing under the Island's coconut palms, Australian prop Petero Civoniceva relaxed on his beach towel as Steve Price, Brent Tate and Scott Prince slipped into the crystal waters for a leisurely swim.

As he tossed a coconut in his hands, Stuart dropped his usual intensity.

He joked with Storm skipper Cameron Smith and it was clear any supposed history between the pair was buried like Stuart's toes in the sand.

"Obviously we're here to win a World Cup, but we've got to make sure we enjoy it as well. That's one part we're doing really well at the moment,'' Smith said.

"I doubt I've been part of a tighter group, full credit to 'Sticky'.''

As the pair laughed, rookie Joel Monaghan sat in the shade, the threat of sunburn on his Canberran skin a greater concern than any of his Cup rivals.

Australian captain Darren Lockyer, rested from tonight's match, strolled the island enjoying an ice cream.

The leisurely scene offered easy ammunition to critics of the rugby league World Cup. But anticipating cries of complacency and disrespect to their rivals, Lockyer suggested the break had only strengthened the team's resolve.

"We've had a long season in the NRL at club level, Origin ... there's got to be downtime, otherwise it wears you down mentally and physically,'' Lockyer said.

"The key is to be up for training but to relax in our downtime. We put in the performance on the weekend, so we can enjoy the week.

"There's never any doubt that the Australian team has plenty of talent, the biggest challenge is bringing the guys together as one. Ricky's doing things like this to bring us together and it works. He's done an amazing job.''

Shuffling from his midday slumber, Civoniceva, who made his Australian debut in 2001, declared a welcomed bond had been formed under Stuart's reign.

"It's weird. We do battle against each other every week and play our hearts out in Origin against each other, but there's something special about this group,'' he said.

"The bond is there as a group, it's special. You'd think we'd be getting on each other's nerves.

"But we all know the downtime is about enjoying each other's company and then when we get out on the training field, we switch on.

"The races was a great day, we were all there together and having a laugh. Even the boys who don't gamble and don't drink were still enjoying the time.

"That bond is something that's been pretty noticeable.

"I just want to be the best footy player I can be," says a mega star of the World Cup, entering tonight's clash against Papua Guinea fresh from helping Australia to big wins over New Zealand and England.

"I started to take my football seriously at the age of 15. That was the time I knew I wanted to do this with my life," said Folau, who has been named on the bench for tonight's tussle in Townsville.

"I made the Australian under-15s merit team and that's when I really put my foot down and worked myself up there. I never wanted to do anything that would harm my footy. From 15, that's all I wanted to do, play footy at a good level.

"That sounds weird now because it wasn't long ago that I was 15. It's all happened so quick. I wasn't playing other sports back then. Just footy. That was it, footy or nothing. League is my entire focus."

In a sport boasting its fair share of whingers, the 19-year-old feels nothing but blessed.

"I do have times when I have to pinch myself a bit," he says. "When I think about it, it's pretty full-on. At times I think about what I've done over the last two years. I just finished school three years ago. I've been a part of Origin, I've played for Australia and I won a premiership in my first year.

"It happened so quick, and I suppose that doesn't happen to too many players. I've enjoyed the whole time. I've played for two years and made two grand finals. I've been really blessed. It's been a pretty good journey for me so far."

In a sport where traditional values can go up the wall, Folau wants his family.

"It's a strange time for me," he says. "It's difficult, or different. I move to Queensland after the World Cup. I enjoyed my time in Melbourne. It's been good for me. But it's time to move on to the next chapter.

"It's exciting. I'm looking forward to meeting the new coaching staff there and just to experience the culture at the Broncos."

Really? You want to experience the culture at the Broncos? Sex dramas, alcohol-related arrests, discipline so bad everyone is called home from holidays. What, exactly, is the Broncos' culture? Folau, a Mormon who steers clear of the demon drink, is about to find out.