NEWS Milford is back, baby

As Anthony Milford heaped sugar onto his Coco Pops Monday morning, he had no idea he was about to be tasked with his biggest challenge yet. To guide his former club, the Souths Magpies, to their first premiership in 13 years. Get along to Davies Park at 3PM today to see him in action:

“I didn’t know what to expect. We went through the video and he pointed out some things in my game I wasn’t doing well. I agreed. To hear I was dropped ... it was tough. I’ve never been in a position to hear those words, but I have to get over the fact I’ve been dropped and use it as a positive. I’ve always been a team-first player so whatever he thought was best for the team, I’ll accept it. While it’s disappointing, I’m hoping it’s a blessing in disguise.”

“I haven’t been up to the standards that I set myself and Kevvie’s as well. The truth is I need to be better. I have to be accountable.”

“I have some mixed emotions. Some nerves, but some excitement, too. I’m going to have a lot of family and friends coming to support me so I’m looking forward to playing some football."

Glory is only the beginning

“I am pretty keen to get back to a club where I played Cyril Connell and Mal Meninga Cup. It’s not a new club for me. I will be going back to see some familiar faces and it’s a club I love because that’s where I started out. One thing I’m excited about is playing with Karmichael Hunt. Souths have a few ex-NRL players, Albert Kelly and Kevin Locke are there, so when I went to training on Wednesday it opened my eyes up to the quality of players there.”

“I’ll be honest, I’m not too sure what my future is at the Broncos. It’s out of my control really. I’m leaving the contract stuff to my manager and we’ll see what happens. In an ideal world, I want to stay. That’s what I hope. But I understand the Broncos have a lot of players off-contract and it’s hard to keep everyone. But just because I’ve been dropped, I’m not going to be one of those players who jumps on the phone straight away wanting a release."

“Kevvie has reassured me as well that he hasn’t given up on me. He told me to go and enjoy myself in Queensland Cup, get some confidence from playing there and then see how I go and try and find my way back into the team. I’ve copped it. I have to be better. I know there is a lot of noise around me, but I know I’m not done. I will be back.”

“I don’t look at my contract as a burden. It’s the nature of the beast. The scrutiny is what comes with playing football at this level. I am at a pretty powerful club at the Broncos and there is always a big focus on us. The Broncos expect to be in the finals every year and they expect to be winning more games than they lose. The year we made the grand final, it was a huge confidence thing for me."

Won't let them down

“As a group, we had built a lot of momentum and there was a lot of self-belief and the team gave me the confidence to back myself. I did things that season that I didn’t think I was capable of doing because the self-belief in the team was so strong. For whatever reason over the past two or three years, I haven’t been able to perform consistently. It has affected my confidence.”

" Look, I’m not the best trainer at the club but I make an effort. I’ve always felt I’m a better player than a trainer. There have been a lot of great players over the years who weren’t the best trainers. One thing I know is I do care. I care a lot about winning games for the Broncos. Every game I go out there wanting to win. I’m not one to blame anything or anyone else for what’s happened. I’m not using injuries as an excuse. I’m not too sure how long I’m going to be at Souths Logan, but I want to get back in that Broncos jumper.”

McHunt

 

[Slippin Jimmy]

Norths seal it with another two tries. Shame I missed the first 30 mins so I can't report on the two Piakura tries, because there wasn't much to write home about for the Bronco contingent after then.

 

[winslow_wong]

Not sure who’s hating life more right now, Ben askren or Anthony Milford.

 

[GCBRONCO]

Crowd thinks he’s a bit of alright.

Probably better to ask them on the way out I would say.

 

[heartly87]

Well from the sounds of it Milf isn't coming back any time soon. I watched the tele game and found out Arthars is a terrible choice at fullback, not sure why Cobbo was moved for him. I would like to have been able to see what Cobbo could have done back there. Walsh was playing 5/8 and had a couple of good involments but also some fairly poor kicking options and a bit average in D, hiding out on the wing mainly. Did have a nice 40/20, but in all I wasn't impressed with him. Didn't he go to the Warriors to be a fullback? I hear that Manu may be going there and wants to play FB also, so who knows maybe Walsh becomes 2nd choice playmaker/fullback for a while.

 

[Big Pete]

Well from the sounds of it Milf isn't coming back any time soon. I watched the tele game and found out Arthars is a terrible choice at fullback, not sure why Cobbo was moved for him. I would like to have been able to see what Cobbo could have done back there. Walsh was playing 5/8 and had a couple of good involments but also some fairly poor kicking options and a bit average in D, hiding out on the wing mainly. Did have a nice 40/20, but in all I wasn't impressed with him. Didn't he go to the Warriors to be a fullback? I hear that Manu may be going there and wants to play FB also, so who knows maybe Walsh becomes 2nd choice playmaker/fullback for a while.

Walsh did well just to stay out there. He was very sick in the early part of the second half after chasing Cobbo down and he had to fight the trainer to stay back in. His kicking game was very effective and he was unlucky not to get a couple of results. He put it in the slot in the first half but Beehag was asleep on the play then later on he got Arthars to spill another one of his bombs only for one of the chasers to be pinged for being marginally in front.

I agree it was odd for him to play at five-eighth. Fuller had a great game back there for the Dolphins but you paid big money for a fullback and you're really taking your chances with him in the front-line.

Arthars is the invisible man. He was barely sighted all day until the end of the game where he came up with a couple of good runs in the middle of the field. If I was a Seagulls fan, I would have been furious, he looked as fresh as anything and they desperately needed more runs like that. Both Cobbo and Robati look like good prospects to me. I'd sooner have Robati in the mix than Keenan Palasia.

 

[Locky888]

MILF is lazy at training translates to him being lazy on game day. How about he tries harder at training, a bit of a no brainer. I reckon a club like Melbourne can whip MILF into form, Bellamy won't accept lazy trainers at that club.

 

[Bull Shark]

MILF is lazy at training translates to him being lazy on game day. How about he tries harder at training, a bit of a no brainer. I reckon a club like Melbourne can whip MILF into form, Bellamy won't accept lazy trainers at that club.

Melbourne / Bellamy also spit out players who they don’t think are up to the task.. I think Milford would struggle with the level of consistent intensity and attention to detail that’s required there.

 

[BroncosFever]

Nice to see some genuine interest surrounding the games with our feeder clubs, it suggests to me there is some depth there, they were flocking in at Davies Park to see Milford play among a few others

 

[NSW stables]

Any info on levi vs paix?

 

[Slippin Jimmy]

Any info on levi vs paix?

There were moments where Paix looked Sharp, mostly at the end, but he threw a bad pass, kicked out on the full once and struggled to contain the Norths pack who dominated the middle.

 

[theshed]

Any eye witness accounts of how Milf went? Piakura scoring 2 on his side doesnt sound promising

 

[McHunt]

Awkward. Karmichael Hunt, who's trying to sequester Milford's position at the Broncos, had to play outside him:

“The score doesn’t do the game justice. I didn’t think it was close. I thought we were terrible to be honest, I’m not trying to sugar-coat it. At times, we hung in there and scored some points when we needed to but if you watch the whole 80 minutes we gave away too much ball and they made good use of their opportunities.”

“It was the first time I was playing outside Milford and it was his debut with Souths so it’s hard when you slotted into a new team with three days’ notice. He always has a crack."

“Tesi had a crack as well but it probably wasn’t as polished as we would have hoped but that’s all of our players today."

On playing for the Broncos:

“I’d prefer to play in the halves, at six and get my hands on the ball. I understand it’s what is best for team. I’d love to play six. I think it just suits my game. I can use my vision and creativity and passing skills and kicking.”

“Nothing has been signed yet. Kevvie is keen. I’ve spoken to him and he’s keen to have me in there with my influence and ability but we’ll wait until everything is signed off first.”

McHunt

 

[Sproj]

So basically he’s implying he can’t believe Milf and Tesj have been considered first grade standard?

 

[Bull Shark]

Any eye witness accounts of how Milf went? Piakura scoring 2 on his side doesnt sound promising

sounds great to me given that Piakura is the club's future and Milford is, well.......

 

[BroncsFan]

Awkward. Karmichael Hunt, who's trying to sequester Milford's position at the Broncos, had to play outside him:

“The score doesn’t do the game justice. I didn’t think it was close. I thought we were terrible to be honest, I’m not trying to sugar-coat it. At times, we hung in there and scored some points when we needed to but if you watch the whole 80 minutes we gave away too much ball and they made good use of their opportunities.”

“It was the first time I was playing outside Milford and it was his debut with Souths so it’s hard when you slotted into a new team with three days’ notice. He always has a crack."

“Tesi had a crack as well but it probably wasn’t as polished as we would have hoped but that’s all of our players today."

On playing for the Broncos:

“I’d prefer to play in the halves, at six and get my hands on the ball. I understand it’s what is best for team. I’d love to play six. I think it just suits my game. I can use my vision and creativity and passing skills and kicking.”

“Nothing has been signed yet. Kevvie is keen. I’ve spoken to him and he’s keen to have me in there with my influence and ability but we’ll wait until everything is signed off first.”

McHunt

Good to see the honesty and calling it out as a shit performance. It's probably been what's missing from our experienced players the last few years.

None of this we're trying every week, young side, blah blah blah

If you're shit and not up to standard work harder to get there

 

[Kooly87]

I tell you what, it’s going to be a real eye opening and I can’t even imagine how much it’s going to hurt on here if/when we ever drop Milford to Queensland Cup and we discover he can’t really be fucked trying or making an actual effort there either.

I absolutely knew Milford would go back to Queensland Cup and shock us all when he failed to have an impact there too.

Incredible footballer on his day who just honestly cannot be assed being an incredible footballer. He apparently can't be assed being a mediocre footballer either for that matter.

 

[McHunt]

Good to see the honesty and calling it out as a shit performance. It's probably been what's missing from our experienced players the last few years.

None of this we're trying every week, young side, blah blah blah

If you're shit and not up to standard work harder to get there

Meanwhile, Khunt's stats against WM, the week before he got called up for the Broncos:

 

[1910]

I was behind the posts and it was telling how often Hunt had to tell Milford to get back onside and get off his line. Hunt was constantly telling him what to do in and encouraging him. Souths defended their line a lot.

Souths defence is terrible and Gamble just zeroed in on that left hand side of Souths for the first 20 minutes.

Piakura great hole running, that is what he hasn't been doing the first three weeks but yesterday was terrific. I wanted him to follow Ahearn but Gamble was great for him yesterday.