BRONCOS-bound Anthony Milford backflipped on a verbal agreement with Canberra coach Ricky Stuart, shunning a club record $3.6 million package to stay at the Raiders. Milford’s worlds will collide in Canberra tomorrow night when the Raiders whiz-kid faces the Broncos club that won a protracted and bitter tug-of-war for his services.
But The Sunday Mail can today reveal how close Milford came to reneging on his Broncos deal. In yet another twist to a complex contractual saga, Milford privately had a change of heart in late April, telling Stuart he would rescind his agreement with the Broncos.
Milford’s manager Sam Ayoub had brokered a two-year deal with Brisbane in November. But under NRL rules the contract could not be formally registered until the end of round 13, which is tomorrow night.
That gave Stuart six months to pitch his vision to Milford. Armed with a three-year extension worth $1.1 million annually, plus an instant pay rise this season, Stuart was confident he had secured a player he rates a once-in-a-generation superstar.
Six weeks ago, Stuart’s spruiking succeeded. He pulled off Mission Impossible. Milford told him he was staying.
But like Kevin Proctor and James Tedesco in recent weeks, Milford slipped the Raiders net after Brisbane played their trump card setting up a meeting with Broncos legend Darren Lockyer.
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Lockyer’s involvement was a seismic political play in the fight for Milford. Hearing whispers Milford was wavering, the Broncos turned to their greatest five-eighth and the most-capped player in NRL history.
Lockyer spoke with Milford while he was in camp in early May for Queensland’s under-20s State of Origin clash at Penrith. Now a Brisbane board member, Lockyer listened to Milford, who told him he had concerns about his ability to handle five-eighth duties at the Broncos.
Milford asked if Lockyer, his childhood hero, would be there to support him.
The Broncos legend agreed to a mentoring role.
Lockyer’s words gave Milford comfort he could fire at the Broncos and represented the final nail in Canberra’s coffin.