Five North Queensland Toyota Cowboys under-20s players have been selected in the Queensland Academy of Sport Under 20s extended squad.
The 26-man squad includes Cowboys quintet Gideon Gela-Mosby, Darryn Schonig, Kalyn Ponga, Cooper Bambling and Coen Hess, with Schonig the only one of the five not to have played in the National Youth Competition to date.
Hess has already made his NRL debut, playing in Round 24 against the Warriors last year.
Six players are returning from last year's Queensland Under 20s team that lost to NSW and eight players are stepping up from the victorious 2015 Queensland Under 18s squad.
Coach Kurt Wrigley says the team's representative experience will be a bonus.
"I'm confident we can get this group up to standard because we have a lot of the guys backing up from last year's Under 20s and they'll have a little hurt from that," he said.
"I've got more time with them at the camp this year, so I'm really looking forward to working with this team."
QAS UNDER 20 SQUAD: Elijah Alick, Cooper Bambling, William Brimson, Lindsay Collins, Brodie Croft, George Fai, Josh Fauid, JJ Felise, Charlie Galo, Gideon Gela-Mosby, Coen Hess, Keegan Hipgrave, Tristan Hope, Josh Kerr, Lachlan Lanskey, Samuelu Lavea, Lachlan Lewis, Michael Molo, Jayden Nikorima, Kalyn Ponga, Darryn Schonig, Samuel Smith, Jaydn Su'A, Jake Turpin, Shane Wright, Keenan Yorston.
Coach: Kurt Wrigley
