NEWS Leaving shortly: final call for passengers Milford and Croft

[pagey]

Brent Read is saying Milford won’t be offered a new contract.

Should we put broncsgoat on suicide watch

 

[Kimlo]

Brent Read is saying Milford won’t be offered a new contract.

Beautiful

 

[theshed]

Brent Read is saying Milford won’t be offered a new contract.

Glad to see Brent Read watches league and is capable of obvious deductions

 

[simplythebest]

6. Lewis
7. Walters



This is the obvious answer, until you realise what the first names are.

 

[theshed]

6. Lewis
7. Walters



This is the obvious answer, until you realise what the first names are.

1. Sailor
6. Lewis
7. Walters
11. Matterson
14. Walker

 

[holdzy]

Brent Read is saying Milford won’t be offered a new contract.

Completely understandable, but I am disappointed.

 

[Morkel]

1. Sailor
6. Lewis
7. Walters
11. Matterson
14. Walker

2. Plowman ;)

 

[vertigo]

Brent Read is saying Milford won’t be offered a new contract.

Music to my ears.

 

[NSW stables]

1. Sailor
6. Lewis
7. Walters
11. Matterson
14. Walker

9. Smith

 

[007]

Unless his form changes, and changes all season, its going to be a high noon showdown between him and croft.

 

[Rico]

Should we put broncsgoat on suicide watch

Even broncsgoat's support seems to have waned. Either that or he's just tuned out of the Milford bashing.

 

[Morkel]

Even if his form changes, I don't want MIlford here at the Broncos. There have been too many instances that, while seemingly minor (and explained away by myself at times) add up to paint a certain picture.

Refusing / rejecting Lockyer's mentoring:
He may just want to be his own player and saw Lockyer's mentoring as trying to mould him in to a Lockyer-style player.
Or he may have seen that Lockyer's way of doing things is ultra-prep, being meticulous in everything, doing extras, taking no shortcuts, and always striving for improvement, and thought that it's not for him.

Benji calling out his training:
Was it really just bullshit made up by a journalist to get clicks? Benji himself denied saying it and Bennett publicly backed Milford.
Or did Benji actually say it, in whatever context / circumstance, and he and Bennett publicly denied it / took a pro-Milford stance for the sake of the team and not denting Milford's confidence?

Lack of development:
Most will concede that in terms of skillset, Milford seems to have worked hard to develop his kicking game, and if credit is to be given, both his short kicking game and hard-to-take spirals are miles ahead of where he was when he first came to the Broncos. But has he improved in any other important area that is required by a half? Game management is about zero, working to a game plan or set structures seems about the same. And if anything his running game has gone backwards, he is nowhere near the tackle-breaking elusive tearaway he started out as. And it doesn't seem to be fitness or ability related, it seems to be more a case of teams figuring him out and easily containing him.

I've been a defender of Milford on here, accepting his limitations in organising because he was never that kind of half. Neither was Lockyer to be fair, he needed a calm, steady halfback beside him to guide the team, move the pieces, and he would then strike when the opportunities presented. But for his running game to stagnate and decline, couples with the possibility that he showed little interest in developing, improving, or show the sort of no-stone-unturned work ethic of the game's best players, it appears to me like he just wants to play his natural game, and believes it to be sufficient enough to get him by (it's clearly not). By his age, if he was going to show some kind of maturity or awakening, it should have happened by now, and it's not worth the risk investing in him further in the hope that he just one day switches on.

So yeah, long post, TLDR, I don't think Milford is worth holding on to, even at $500k, or even $350k, he doesn't seem like he'll ever be the sort of player we need in such an important position, and that's one who strives to improve and is never satisfied that they are as good as they could be.

 

[McHunt]

It's happening

 

[Mr Fourex]

Even if his form changes, I don't want MIlford here at the Broncos.

To cut a too long story short........you've got rocks in your head if you want to drop Milford, even if his form turns around.

Our first half of our first game of the year.......when Milford is on, we are on. Its that simple. He can and will win games for you. We/he just needs to find the way to bring his form up for every game

.......and I'm still waiting to hear of a name that would be a better replacement. Bodie Croft?.....please...

Give Milford and Deardon some serious game time together and I'll bet my left nut that we see a dramatic improvement in Milford and the Brisbane Broncos.

 

[McHunt]

Kevin Walters on Dearden's selection:

"I will make the tough calls. I’ve had to leave Billy Slater out of the State of Origin side and that was a tough call, that still haunts me."

“Anthony is a running five-eighth and Brodie (Croft) is an organising halfback, so I need them to do that. There is pressure on both of those two (Milford and Croft) to do well as a duo. We have simplified their roles this week so they have clear instructions on their role within the team."

In his sights

“It’s a key part of the team environment, the six and the seven, and I feel we haven’t got enough out of those two in the opening two rounds and they admit that as well. They are taking ownership of that, so this week is an opportunity to get their games back on track. I am looking forward to seeing how that goes together and then adding Tom into the mix on the field, it creates some good attacking opportunities for us which we didn’t have last week.”

“We just felt that John Asiata is one guy who needs a rest. Tom is the ideal guy to come in, he covers a few positions. It will be a good opportunity for Tom as well. We will get him on the field and let him be Tom. He likes running the ball and kicking the ball and is strong in defence so it’s a good opportunity for him. Depending on how the game unfolds and what we need from our players, we might put him in at hooker as well and give Jake Turpin a rest. Tom brings some good options.”

McHunt

 

[Jedhead]

I'm with Kevvie on this. I suggested it in fact that we put Deardon at 14 a few weeks ago, but it got given short shrift by a few on here. It allows us to rest Turps and adds a fresh attacking option as I think Tommy has been happy playing as a running six so taking this game into the nine spot for short burst will (I'm sure) pay dividends. It also gives us another option to kick from dummy half and I can see him swap with Croft if things are not looking good. In short, there is more upside to this than down for mine.

 

[Morkel]

To cut a too long story short........you've got rocks in your head if you want to drop Milford, even if his form turns around.

Our first half of our first game of the year.......when Milford is on, we are on. Its that simple. He can and will win games for you. We/he just needs to find the way to bring his form up for every game

.......and I'm still waiting to hear of a name that would be a better replacement. Bodie Croft?.....please...

Give Milford and Deardon some serious game time together and I'll bet my left nut that we see a dramatic improvement in Milford and the Brisbane Broncos.

Well call me Mr Rock Head.

 

[Mr Fourex]

I don't see Croft as a organising half. I don't think he could organise a **** in a brothel.