Cult
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- Oct 17, 2013
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Why doesn't anyone bring up Milford or Blair when they talk about the buys of the season? I haven't heard either of them brought up once.
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Danoz Direct
NRL Captain
- Oct 12, 2013
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Matty Johns said on his show he thought that Milford was the buy of the year.
Mr Fourex
State of Origin Captain
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- Apr 9, 2012
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Gould said the same about Blair .....
tommy
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Pretty sure it was Gould in today's game said Ennis was buy of the year . I might be wrong but someone said it
Harry Sack
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- Jun 12, 2013
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Gould also said the Knights would never get the spoon. Uh oh!!!!
jarro65
State of Origin Rep
- Jun 26, 2008
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Matty Johns has been on the Milf/Broncos bandwagon for a while now.
I find it rather disturbing actually
I find it rather disturbing actually
Super Freak
International Captain
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- Jan 25, 2014
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Darren Lockyer can't remember any other teenage rookie winning a club's player of the year award in his first season of NRL – let alone one who played out of position as Anthony Milford did at Canberra in 2013.
But Milford, who will wear Lockyer's old No.6 Broncos jersey in Sunday's grand final against North Queensland, has been doing things few others have since he started playing league as an 11-year-old at Souths Acacia Ridge in Brisbane.
"I think as early as 12 it was known that he was a special talent and he was put on a scholarship," says Milford's former junior coach Steve Bretherton, who now coaches Souths Logan Colts. "I don't think there are too many 12 years olds that get identified that young and really know that they are on a good path with their talent."
At 15 years of age, Milford accepted a scholarship with the Raiders and after moving to Canberra in 2012 he led both the club's under 18s SG Ball and Under 20s Holden Cup teams to grand final appearances before making his NRL debut in the following season's round five match against Sydney Roosters.
What ensued was a giant tug of war over his services between the Raiders, who had Mal Meninga in their corner trying to persuade Milford to stay, and the Broncos, who used Lockyer to convince him of the benefits of playing for Brisbane.
After starring for Samoa at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, Milford also became the centre of a representative eligibility battle as Meninga wanted him to declare his allegiance to Queensland.
All this by the age of 19.
"He won the Mal Meninga Medal as player of the year at Canberra in his first year when he was 19 and I don't know of anyone who has ever done that before so that pretty much said to me straight away that he was a special kid," Lockyer said.
"I guess at that point in time the Broncos were looking for someone to complement Ben Hunt in the halves and he is probably the guy who was identified out there in the market so the Broncos were pretty keen to get him."
Contrary to the widely held belief that Brisbane have had to transform him into a five-eighth this year after Milford finally joined the club he officially signed for in November, 2013, it was the Raiders who developed him into a fullback after sacking Josh Dugan at the start of the 2013 season.
"He hadn't really played fullback before, he was in the halves as a junior and when he came into our SG Ball he was in the halves," Canberra chief executive Don Furner said. "I think in the Under 20s he started off in the centres and then he broke into first grade when Duges left and handled that really well."
It has been reported that the Raiders offered Milford a $2.1 million, three-year deal that would have made him the highest paid player at the club but they couldn't compete with the lure of moving home with his parents, Halo and Marietta, and the opportunity to supplement his $400,000 per season contract with third-party agreements in Brisbane.
Furner didn't want to discuss the circumstances around the loss of a player viewed as the future of the Raiders after the sackings of Dugan and Blake Ferguson but he said Milford was not only a good player but "absolutely a good kid".
On the field, Milford has developed into one of the best running halves in the game and he averaged 119.3 metres per game – far more than the other three halves in Sunday's grand final Hunt (55.2m) and the Cowboys pairing of Johnathan Thurston (72.7m) and Michael Morgan (71.7m), according to Champion Data.
He is also ranked ninth among all players in the NRL this season for line breaks (13) and has made 19 line-break assists and 15 try assists in his 26 matches for the Broncos.
"It honestly doesn't surprise me what he is doing in the game," Bretherton said. "He always had the good footwork and the speed, he always had a good football brain, he was always really competitive and he always wanted to work hard to improve himself. I think those are the traits that have helped him to get to where he is.
"He was always making representative sides and he was an Australian schoolboys player at 15 years of age and some of those kids can get in front of themselves and think they have already made it whereas he always wanted to improve himself.
"Everyone has always known he was going to turn into a top halfback or five-eighth but I think playing under Wayne Bennett is the best thing that has happened to him. Darren Lockyer had a lot to do with his decision to come to Brisbane, I don't think he really pushed him but just showed him the benefits of coming to Brisbane and I wouldn't say that solely made his decision but I know for a fact he did have a lot of conversations with him about it.
"It was a hard decision and I know he tossed and turned over it but if anything I think it matured him a bit earlier."
But Milford, who will wear Lockyer's old No.6 Broncos jersey in Sunday's grand final against North Queensland, has been doing things few others have since he started playing league as an 11-year-old at Souths Acacia Ridge in Brisbane.
"I think as early as 12 it was known that he was a special talent and he was put on a scholarship," says Milford's former junior coach Steve Bretherton, who now coaches Souths Logan Colts. "I don't think there are too many 12 years olds that get identified that young and really know that they are on a good path with their talent."
At 15 years of age, Milford accepted a scholarship with the Raiders and after moving to Canberra in 2012 he led both the club's under 18s SG Ball and Under 20s Holden Cup teams to grand final appearances before making his NRL debut in the following season's round five match against Sydney Roosters.
What ensued was a giant tug of war over his services between the Raiders, who had Mal Meninga in their corner trying to persuade Milford to stay, and the Broncos, who used Lockyer to convince him of the benefits of playing for Brisbane.
After starring for Samoa at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, Milford also became the centre of a representative eligibility battle as Meninga wanted him to declare his allegiance to Queensland.
All this by the age of 19.
"He won the Mal Meninga Medal as player of the year at Canberra in his first year when he was 19 and I don't know of anyone who has ever done that before so that pretty much said to me straight away that he was a special kid," Lockyer said.
"I guess at that point in time the Broncos were looking for someone to complement Ben Hunt in the halves and he is probably the guy who was identified out there in the market so the Broncos were pretty keen to get him."
Contrary to the widely held belief that Brisbane have had to transform him into a five-eighth this year after Milford finally joined the club he officially signed for in November, 2013, it was the Raiders who developed him into a fullback after sacking Josh Dugan at the start of the 2013 season.
"He hadn't really played fullback before, he was in the halves as a junior and when he came into our SG Ball he was in the halves," Canberra chief executive Don Furner said. "I think in the Under 20s he started off in the centres and then he broke into first grade when Duges left and handled that really well."
It has been reported that the Raiders offered Milford a $2.1 million, three-year deal that would have made him the highest paid player at the club but they couldn't compete with the lure of moving home with his parents, Halo and Marietta, and the opportunity to supplement his $400,000 per season contract with third-party agreements in Brisbane.
Furner didn't want to discuss the circumstances around the loss of a player viewed as the future of the Raiders after the sackings of Dugan and Blake Ferguson but he said Milford was not only a good player but "absolutely a good kid".
On the field, Milford has developed into one of the best running halves in the game and he averaged 119.3 metres per game – far more than the other three halves in Sunday's grand final Hunt (55.2m) and the Cowboys pairing of Johnathan Thurston (72.7m) and Michael Morgan (71.7m), according to Champion Data.
He is also ranked ninth among all players in the NRL this season for line breaks (13) and has made 19 line-break assists and 15 try assists in his 26 matches for the Broncos.
"It honestly doesn't surprise me what he is doing in the game," Bretherton said. "He always had the good footwork and the speed, he always had a good football brain, he was always really competitive and he always wanted to work hard to improve himself. I think those are the traits that have helped him to get to where he is.
"He was always making representative sides and he was an Australian schoolboys player at 15 years of age and some of those kids can get in front of themselves and think they have already made it whereas he always wanted to improve himself.
"Everyone has always known he was going to turn into a top halfback or five-eighth but I think playing under Wayne Bennett is the best thing that has happened to him. Darren Lockyer had a lot to do with his decision to come to Brisbane, I don't think he really pushed him but just showed him the benefits of coming to Brisbane and I wouldn't say that solely made his decision but I know for a fact he did have a lot of conversations with him about it.
"It was a hard decision and I know he tossed and turned over it but if anything I think it matured him a bit earlier."
rnabokov
State of Origin Captain
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- Mar 5, 2008
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Special kudos to Milford. For one so young and relatively inexperienced, for mine he looked comfortable and composed in the pressure cooker of a GF and was always switched on, unlike key ball players on both sides except JT.
I now do think all things being equal, he will be the next Lockyer and unless Hunt lifts his kicking game next year, Milf should be our primary kicker.
Milf for mine was equal best on the field. So glad we have him in the halves.
I now do think all things being equal, he will be the next Lockyer and unless Hunt lifts his kicking game next year, Milf should be our primary kicker.
Milf for mine was equal best on the field. So glad we have him in the halves.
Super Freak
International Captain
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- Jan 25, 2014
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He was the finest player on the field in the eyes of many in the 2015 Telstra Premiership Grand Final but Anthony Milford's game is set to receive a further boost with selection in the World All Stars team in December.
With new guidelines encouraging the selection of six players with Pacific Island heritage and World All Stars coach Wayne Bennett's insistence on playing an exciting brand of football, Milford is perfectly positioned to make his All Stars debut at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday 13 February 2016.
Voting for the Indigenous All Stars team is open now until December 6 with it and the Bennett-selected World All Stars team to be unveiled in mid December.
In his first full year at five-eighth in the NRL, Milford capped a stellar season with a sublime performance in Brisbane's heart-breaking grand final defeat to the Cowboys - running for 219 metres, making seven tackle busts and two line breaks, the last of which seemed to have put the Broncos within reach of the title.
Entrusted with the famous Brisbane No.6 jersey by Bennett from the very start of the season, Milford finished the year with as many line-break assists as halves partner Ben Hunt (16), 13 line breaks and 14 try assists but Bennett believes a week in All Stars camp will help to further elevate his extraordinary talents.
"Last year I brought a young player in because I thought it would be great for him and it's a really good environment to come into," said Bennett who blooded Matt Moylan and Luke Brooks in the 2015 NRL All Stars team.
"They're good blokes and they all want to be there and I've had a number of them in the team over a number of years.
"Cameron Smith missed last year I think for the first time since it had been going so I like to think there are young guys out there – and maybe Anthony is one of those – that might just give them a bit more confidence about themselves being in such good company.
"With three Test captains there that's pretty important; there's a lot of experience with those three in the team."
There were 11 Australian-aligned players in Bennett's 2015 All Stars team but new selection criteria will cut that number to four along with four Kiwis and four English players.
An allocation of six players from Pacific nations such as Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and Papua New Guinea will form part of the 20-man squad of Bennett's choosing, a number he believes is the correct representation.
"I think it's right and fair numbers," Bennett said of the squad's make-up.
"They all see themselves as equal – Australia, New Zealand and England – in terms of the Test format and the other nations are really developing great.
"It's been wonderful what we've been doing there from an international point of view of the game. There are six of those [Pacific Island players] that I can pick and I think that's a pretty fair number."
Since its inception in 2010 the All Stars concept has always had the backdrop of a celebration of Indigenous culture but founder Preston Campbell hopes that it can now extend to a celebration of the wide range of cultures in the game today.
"We're talking Indigenous culture but there are so many different cultures in rugby league now," Campbell said.
"We're a very multi-cultural game so it needs to be shared around.
"I know there are a lot of guys out there with cultures very similar to the Indigenous one who are also very, very proud of it and I'm hoping they'll show that pride not just during the game but during the week as well.
"In the past, the Indigenous side always felt like they had to lift for the jersey and I think now with this World All Stars, players coming from different countries will feel like they've got to lift for their heritage and their culture."
All Stars Call-Up To Elevate Milford's Game - Broncos
With new guidelines encouraging the selection of six players with Pacific Island heritage and World All Stars coach Wayne Bennett's insistence on playing an exciting brand of football, Milford is perfectly positioned to make his All Stars debut at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday 13 February 2016.
Voting for the Indigenous All Stars team is open now until December 6 with it and the Bennett-selected World All Stars team to be unveiled in mid December.
In his first full year at five-eighth in the NRL, Milford capped a stellar season with a sublime performance in Brisbane's heart-breaking grand final defeat to the Cowboys - running for 219 metres, making seven tackle busts and two line breaks, the last of which seemed to have put the Broncos within reach of the title.
Entrusted with the famous Brisbane No.6 jersey by Bennett from the very start of the season, Milford finished the year with as many line-break assists as halves partner Ben Hunt (16), 13 line breaks and 14 try assists but Bennett believes a week in All Stars camp will help to further elevate his extraordinary talents.
"Last year I brought a young player in because I thought it would be great for him and it's a really good environment to come into," said Bennett who blooded Matt Moylan and Luke Brooks in the 2015 NRL All Stars team.
"They're good blokes and they all want to be there and I've had a number of them in the team over a number of years.
"Cameron Smith missed last year I think for the first time since it had been going so I like to think there are young guys out there – and maybe Anthony is one of those – that might just give them a bit more confidence about themselves being in such good company.
"With three Test captains there that's pretty important; there's a lot of experience with those three in the team."
There were 11 Australian-aligned players in Bennett's 2015 All Stars team but new selection criteria will cut that number to four along with four Kiwis and four English players.
An allocation of six players from Pacific nations such as Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and Papua New Guinea will form part of the 20-man squad of Bennett's choosing, a number he believes is the correct representation.
"I think it's right and fair numbers," Bennett said of the squad's make-up.
"They all see themselves as equal – Australia, New Zealand and England – in terms of the Test format and the other nations are really developing great.
"It's been wonderful what we've been doing there from an international point of view of the game. There are six of those [Pacific Island players] that I can pick and I think that's a pretty fair number."
Since its inception in 2010 the All Stars concept has always had the backdrop of a celebration of Indigenous culture but founder Preston Campbell hopes that it can now extend to a celebration of the wide range of cultures in the game today.
"We're talking Indigenous culture but there are so many different cultures in rugby league now," Campbell said.
"We're a very multi-cultural game so it needs to be shared around.
"I know there are a lot of guys out there with cultures very similar to the Indigenous one who are also very, very proud of it and I'm hoping they'll show that pride not just during the game but during the week as well.
"In the past, the Indigenous side always felt like they had to lift for the jersey and I think now with this World All Stars, players coming from different countries will feel like they've got to lift for their heritage and their culture."
All Stars Call-Up To Elevate Milford's Game - Broncos
Super Freak
International Captain
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- Jan 25, 2014
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Yeah, this montage is going to take me some time.
I'm going to have to do a lot of editing.
8:31 long already, and I've only just finished his Canberra highlights.
I'm going to have to do a lot of editing.
8:31 long already, and I've only just finished his Canberra highlights.
Marty Deutschmann
NRL Captain
- Oct 23, 2013
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Damn was hoping to just go for him as a Bronco :)
Haha after all, we dont need to see him playing out of position without a 6 on his back
...
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Broncoman
State of Origin Rep
- Oct 9, 2011
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If we hung on for 1 extra play in the GF Milford would've won the CCM. Pretty annoyed Thurston won it but he was a lock in if the Cows won.
Sirlee oldman
NRL Player
- Dec 6, 2015
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True story. I have been a fan of the Broncos since they joined the comp but my daughter, son in law and myself all became members for the first time this time last year. My daughter had been watching Milford play for Canberra and got me to watch him too. We were all convinced he would turn the Broncos around and so we became members to watch it happen live. At last years fan day my daughter shook his hand and told him we had become members to watch him play and the look on his face was priceless. There is no conceit at all in this kid. He was surprised and genuinely humble but gave me the impression he was determined to do his best. I walked away completely believing I had just met a champion.
tommy
International Rep
- Jun 5, 2015
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He is a champion . He was best on field in the GF hands down .So glad he is in the team.
I bleed Maroon
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Give him a solid 5 or 6 years more in first grade and he'll be knocking on the door of the captaincy
Marty Deutschmann
NRL Captain
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He's a legend. So is benny hunt
ChewThePhatt
NRL Player
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- Dec 28, 2015
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The skill set of a legend.
The brain of a genius.
The humility of a guru.
Love him!
Definitely our captain in the future. Not yet though.
As Master Wayne said last year, "with Milf & Hunt our club & state is set to be competitive for the next 10+ years"
YeeeeHaaaaaaa!!!!!
The brain of a genius.
The humility of a guru.
Love him!
Definitely our captain in the future. Not yet though.
As Master Wayne said last year, "with Milf & Hunt our club & state is set to be competitive for the next 10+ years"
YeeeeHaaaaaaa!!!!!
Super Freak
International Captain
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- Jan 25, 2014
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This might be a little controversial, but I think Milford could end up becoming the best player in our history. He still has a long way to go, but he is off to a good start.
Making this montage, some of the shit he does.. And with so much ease.
Making this montage, some of the shit he does.. And with so much ease.
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