[Official] - Milford signs with Broncos

[worm of the north]

Thanks mate. I too hope we can get back to that one day. I just want this circus over with.

 

[Thibaùlt]

The Raiders have a chance to show they've turned the corner.

Mis- management, bad coaching, poor administration.

They have a new coach, a new chairman. The should be looking to show they want players who want to play for the club.

It's in no ones interest to keep him there.

Just show some compassion.

Good luck trying to sign any high profile recruits when this is how they treat players and player welfare.

 

[Rhys van Beurden]

Gotta say Worm, I like your input. It is always refreshing to get some (sensible) outside input. Sometimes we take this great sport a liiittle too seriously. It's easy to forget the footballer's themselves are people too.

 

[Porthoz]

Honestly Worm, I think the Raiders and their supporters are taking out on Milford (and the Broncos) what was done to them by the likes of Carney, Dugan and Ferguson. I don't even wanna think about what must be happening at the GH right now... :lalala:

Those guys behaved much worse and had much less respect for the organisation, yet the Raiders decided that Anthony was the one they are going to make an example of? I think that is going to come back to bite you guys big time!

Every single player, especially the ones from Qld, are going to think twice before signing with you, given the treatment of Anthony.

He probably believed the Raiders would let him leave with that clause if he felt homesick or his father did take a turn, and wanted to reward them for their faith (and development) in him, by signing the extension. He genuinely tried to make it work in Canberra, and the way he honored the green jersey till the very last game proves it. And then he thought the Raiders would return the favor, only to find out what kind of man Don Furner is...

 

[M.B.88]

After reading all the passionate responses of your crew down south, the only answer I can find to the madness that is haunting your fan base is that recruiting from the Queensland catchment is maybe not the best idea. I do concede that you have done extremely well by doing this over the years, especially in the 80's/90's and more recently with Papalii, Milford and the Lee boys, but there is a reason that the Broncos favour Queensland based players. Young blokes do get homesick. If you nurture local, home-grown talent, you are less likely to be worried about instances like this reoccurring.

It's a tricky one because as I said, your hit rate with QLDers is outstanding! But instances like this are gonna cause more and more problems, if not paranoia. The Canberra catchment is nothing to be sneezed at and should be focused on more.

So, in summary, maybe understanding that Brisbane is little more than an over grown country town (much less Logan) and refocusing energies on ACT products can only ensure that these issues aren't a common occurrence. When it comes down to it, the kid ain't even 20 - I was still "on the tit" at that age as my ex-Dairy farmer neighbour put it. Strategies need to be developed to benefit your club rather than the butthurt over a really understandable family issue.

wow! smartest thing i've ever read on this forum. couldn't agree more. tip of the hat to you sir

 

[Manbush]

Losing one kid ain't worth giving up on Logan for (and Logan doesnt want us to), with the players we're keeping from there, just means they might have to be fussier on personality types or do like with Papalii move the family down, that's where the Milf thing came undone, if Milfs parents had decided to move when he asked them then none of this would've occurred. Maybe before signing islanders they have to start checking if parent are willing to move

 

[buymeabeer]

No need to be smart mate. The Raiders have done well developing talent they have sourced from QLD; no one ever said we have a monopoly on talent and players that come from Brisbane. Canberra were sourcing talent from here long before the Broncos were even in the ARL (Meninga, Belcher, Jackson and more). As for comparing those players to Milford; its like comparing caramello koalas to Belgium chocolate!

 

[Rabbir]

Doubt he will join for next year I think I read a quote from Milford saying he is committed to finishing his contract at Canberra.

Seems like you are the only one that has seen these quotes.

Everything else is coming from the opposite standpoint.

 

[subsbligh]

Losing one kid ain't worth giving up on Logan for (and Logan doesnt want us to), with the players we're keeping from there, just means they might have to be fussier on personality types or do like with Papalii move the family down, that's where the Milf thing came undone, if Milfs parents had decided to move when he asked them then none of this would've occurred. Maybe before signing islanders they have to start checking if parent are willing to move

Ha! Good luck signing any Samoan kids in the future, hell make that any young kid who cares about family. This could have a huge flow on for any recruitment in the future of kids from Logan or Brisbane.

 

[Foordy]

The meltdown had started over at the GH. But I have to say this, the more I read of worms posts over there, the more respect I have for him.

And as he said over there, Ricky Stuart and the Raiders have been caught in a lie by releasing a statement saying Milford had agreed to play out 2014.

IMO, Milford won't be sitting out 2014. He'll either be playing for us or the Reds.

 

[broncos4life]

BRONCOS recruit Anthony Milford says he has no plans to return to Canberra, expressing his shock at a press release that represents the final straw for his career at the Raiders.


Currently holidaying in Samoa, Milford last night spoke out to refute Canberra's claim that he will honour the final year of his deal before moving to Brisbane in 2015.


The Raiders yesterday released a statement "confirming" the Broncos-bound sensation would report for pre-season training on December 16 and see out the 2014 season.


But The Courier-Mail can reveal Milford has twice told Canberra hierarchy he has no intention of returning, even spurning a three-year, $2.1 million contract extension.


The 19-year-old insists he was not consulted about Canberra's official statement in a development that has driven a toxic wedge between Milford and the Raiders.


"The way the Raiders put things out, I was disappointed and shocked that they would do it that way," Milford said.

Boom rookie Anthony Milford says he's told Canberra he won't play for the club in 2014 | News.com.au

I knew that release was rushed and suss.

How many times have I heard raiders fans say "I haven't any quotes from Anthony himself" well, there it is lads

 

[broncos4life]

it contradicts what Ayoub has said, wires have been crossed somewhere.

What do you mean?

 

[Thibaùlt]

Ha! Good luck signing any Samoan kids in the future, hell make that any young kid who cares about family. This could have a huge flow on for any recruitment in the future of kids from Logan or Brisbane.

Agree.

Now that we have a Logan academy, do the Raiders really think that family orientated Polynesian mums and dads will want their kids playing for Canberra? You think Milford's family isn't bad mouthing them to the community about how Anthony has been treated?

The Rugby League world is small. Everybody talks.

 

[Manbush]

Milf really needs to get a new manager

"Canberra had made their minds up to fight it and in the end, no-one wanted to see a 19-year-old go through a long and disruptive legal battle," Ayoub said. (Josh Massoud, Daily Telegraph, November 28,2013).

 

[Bucking Beads]

So Milford doesn't intend on going back to Canberra next season. I feel for them but I'm not sure they can do anything but release him. Interesting to see how this plays out.

 

[broncos4life]

Honestly, milf was never going to be able to win in all of this. The whole time most raiders fans were saying "I have no problem
With him wanting to leave, I just want to hear it from him"

Now that he has said it and verified that it was all about family and not money those same fans are:

"**** him, he's not even that good, make him stand down"

 

[jarro65]

Good to finally hear his side of things .... directly from him.

Sheds new light on how gruby the raiders are too.

 

[broncos4life]

I've got massive respect for this kid