VOTE Should Milford be dropped immediately?

[winslow_wong]

Milford is not Locky, never was and never will be. Lockyer, like Thurston, was the complete footballer. Milford has the skills but he is not a leader of men as was Locky and JT.

I wish people would stop the comparisons with Locky. It was the initial "Milf is the next Locky" which marked his decline. Nobody can be made into a Lockyer or JT. They are just born that way. It can't be coached, but when comparisons are made, what skills they have can be coached out of them in such a vain pursuit, which is exactly what happened to Milf starting with Bennett's attempt to re-create what simply can't be done.

Milford just isn’t as smart as locky or Thurston. You constantly heard locky did certain things because in his mind, he was 2-3 plays ahead. Milford just doesn’t have that sort of football brain to create like that.

 

[Sproj]

Milford just isn’t as smart as locky or Thurston. You constantly heard locky did certain things because in his mind, he was 2-3 plays ahead. Milford just doesn’t have that sort of football brain to create like that.

And that is why he can't be the marquee. He doesn't have the brain for it, he doesn't have the x-factor anymore and he doesn't have the competitiveness. He really offers nothing more than a slightly above average spine player now. It is very sad to see his alarming regression.

 

[Huge]

And Wally had both the running game and the playmaking game perfected and while being largely noted as a 5/8th he even played halfback at times during his career and started out as a lock and finished his career with the Broncos at lock. Lewis alongside other club 5/8ths Walters and Lockyer showed you can have 5/8ths who possess both aspects to their game.
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Renouf: Milford must stand up for Broncos or face axe

https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/06/25/renouf-milford-must-stand-up-for-broncos-or-face-axe/


The Broncos need Anthony Milford to stand up against the Titans and show everyone the quality player that he can be.

Saturday night is D-Day for Milford. Anthony Seibold has shown his hand by picking Tom Dearden on the bench.

That is obviously a decision that Seibold believes is best for the team but it is also a warning to Milford and Brodie Croft that if they don't perform there is a young half ready to take their spot.

Since coming back from the enforced break Milford has hardly fired a shot.

Milford is at his best when he is running the ball. Before writing this column I had a look at the dazzling try he scored against the Rabbitohs in round two where he beat six defenders just by backing himself.

It was from broken field play but it is something he can try and do at any stage. In that try he wanted the ball and he was determined. Milf has the speed and the footwork to cause headaches for any defence in traffic as well. I have seen him do it in Origin when he's had a chance.

He is a strike player and we have seen him do it.

Unfortunately Milford just hasn't performed in the last month. Last week's game against Newcastle highlighted where he is at with his football. He went missing. It was picked out by Joey Johns on Channel Nine and he hit the nail on the head.

I was thinking during the game 'Where is he?' He is the number six and he says he wants the ball in his hands but he seemed to be everywhere the ball wasn't.

It is simple. Get the ball in your hands.

He really doesn't have any excuse. If he doesn't perform against the Gold Coast then I don't see why he should be in the team to play the Warriors next week.

The Broncos have replaced Jamayne Isaako at fullback with Tesi Niu but they could have axed half a dozen, and Milford would definitely have been in that group.

Every half in the game could blame their own lack of impact on their forwards not getting momentum. Good players don't need excuses to be made for them though.

Allan Langer would always drag us out of a mess. We were never perfect but there was always someone who would pick up the slack for us.

This team doesn't have that at the moment but Milford is in a position where he should be taking the game by the scruff of the neck and making it his own.

His forwards can help him in this regard as well of course. Matt Lodge and Tevita Pangai can offload. It is time for Milf to follow them and get that second-phase play going. It is really time for the Broncos pack to also live up to their reputations.

It concerns me that since 2015 Milford has only shown glimpses of his best. He is one of the most experienced players in the team with 170-odd games and he should be standing up, but he's not.

He was given an opportunity to get the ball in his hands more at fullback last year but that didn't work out. Milford is back at six where he has really shone in the past. He showed that in 2015 where he was so close to winning the Clive Churchill Medal and a premiership.

Milf is such a lovely lad but he needs a rocket. I'm sure he can fire for Brisbane this week if he gets himself involved and runs the ball. If he does it can be the start of a Broncos resurgence. I am really expecting a big game from him.

Jesus, that's what I wrote yesterday! I know it's not original but **** me in answer to rnabakov I wrote virtually the same thing, at least in relation to Renouf. At least we all know Milford is no longer exempt from criticism and most importantly, Milford knows now.

 

[WASSHHH]

Milford is not Locky, never was and never will be. Lockyer, like Thurston, was the complete footballer. Milford has the skills but he is not a leader of men as was Locky and JT.

I wish people would stop the comparisons with Locky. It was the initial "Milf is the next Locky" which marked his decline. Nobody can be made into a Lockyer or JT. They are just born that way. It can't be coached, but when comparisons are made, what skills they have can be coached out of them in such a vain pursuit, which is exactly what happened to Milf starting with Bennett's attempt to re-create what simply can't be done.

You ask for specific examples of what people mean when they say he needs to be more involved, only to then complain when someone provides you with exactly that.

I don’t care if he isn’t a leader, or whatever other excuse you want to make. FFS, he has played the best part of 200 NRL games.

If, at this point in his career, he can’t find ways to get more involved in a game than he currently is (which is bordering on not at all for the most part), then that’s on him and no one else.

It most certainly isn’t because he’s not Lockyer.

 

[Huge]

You ask for specific examples of what people mean when they say he needs to be more involved, only to then complain when someone provides you with exactly that.

I don’t care if he isn’t a leader, or whatever other excuse you want to make. FFS, he has played the best part of 200 NRL games.

If, at this point in his career, he can’t find ways to get more involved in a game than he currently is (which is bordering on not at all for the most part), then that’s on him and no one else.

It most certainly isn’t because he’s not Lockyer.

I generally agree with rnabakov on a lot of things but the criticism of Milford has been warranted and so this time we are at odds. Having written that some of the more strident criticism and frankly freshly invented criticism is not what I support.

 

[Aldo]

Milford is not Locky, never was and never will be. Lockyer, like Thurston, was the complete footballer. Milford has the skills but he is not a leader of men as was Locky and JT.

I wish people would stop the comparisons with Locky. It was the initial "Milf is the next Locky" which marked his decline. Nobody can be made into a Lockyer or JT. They are just born that way. It can't be coached, but when comparisons are made, what skills they have can be coached out of them in such a vain pursuit, which is exactly what happened to Milf starting with Bennett's attempt to re-create what simply can't be done.

All of that is great and I agree that Milford is not Lockyer or JT. But that doesn't absolve him from not getting involved. For me, I don't care if we are going forwards, backward or sideways, I just want Milford to have a red hot crack. I could somewhat stomach the losses and have some sympathy for him if I knew he was having a go and at least going down swinging.

 

[Renegade]

Oh so the next crutch is we can't possibly expect Milf to be good because he's not Lockyer.

LOL

 

[Kooly87]

And Wally had both the running game and the playmaking game perfected and while being largely noted as a 5/8th he even played halfback at times during his career and started out as a lock and finished his career with the Broncos at lock. Lewis alongside other club 5/8ths Walters and Lockyer showed you can have 5/8ths who possess both aspects to their game.
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We don't need Milford to be on the same level as Wally, or Locky, or even Walters for that matter.

Hell, at this point we're so desperate I'd settle for him to just be on a similar level to Mitch Moses, Cody Walker or Jack Wighton at the moment.

 

[Kimlo]

Look at Munster play games, then look at Milford. They practically play the same type of 5/8 role except one plays like he wants to win and one plays like he got out of bed too early and hasn't had his morning coffee yet.

Milford seems like he only gets involved if he has to, rather than demanding the ball and trying to make things happen.

I hope we offer him 400k next time around, take it or leave it.

 

[GCBRONCO]

We don't need Milford to be on the same level as Wally, or Locky, or even Walters for that matter.

Hell, I'd settle for him to just be on a similar level to Mitch Moses, Cody Walker or Jack Wighton at the moment.

I never actually said we did, I was merely pointing out that not all 5/8ths are just ballrunners, Milford I don't consider to be one who possesses both areas to his game, his real strength lies in his running game and he currently has a real lack of intent and confidence there to do so.

 

[Renegade]

Look at Munster play games, then look at Milford. They practically play the same type of 5/8 role except one plays like he wants to win and one plays like he got out of bed too early and hasn't had his morning coffee yet.

Milford seems like he only gets involved if he has to, rather than demanding the ball and trying to make things happen.

I hope we offer him 400k next time around, take it or leave it.

offer him nothing. we could get a q cup player on min wage that would bust a gut to be on the field.

 

[TariqT]

It's easy to forget what a dominant player Lockyer was from fullback. Even though he pioneered the modern game there, he was a playmaker from the back as well as being an amazing open-field runner and support player. His shift to 5/8 means that part of his career is often forgotten (no more open field running) but he really was something unique at the back. Two players in one, and he always made it look easy and even graceful. He was so dominant that when he was just "good", he'd cop plenty of criticism. He'd always make people eat their words though.

Milf's body language is terrible at times. He gets caught with the ball, and much of it is the team's fault, yes, but you just can't let others see that body language. Get back up and try again, because negativity is contagious. So when his forwards see that, they start dropping their bundle as well. I still think he's a great player, he just needs to put more value on his weekly performances. It should mean everything to him if he's getting a million a year. Put pride in your work. I want to see him get angry at the forwards, push them around, bark at them. I don't ever want to see him on camera looking disinterested or deflated ever again.

 

[theshed]

Quotes from Lockyer today re: the calls for Dearden to replace Milford

Darren, I think people are expecting him to run because that’s what he got a million dollar contract for being able to do good. It’s not because we think the broncos really need someone to run more. it would just be amazing if one of our halves could consistently do any of the things they are good at. if Dearden comes in and is kicking well and controlling the attack, no one will be crying for him to run more. We just want anybody to do anything at an NRL level.

 

[Culhwch]

I don't expect him to be Locky or JT or Lewis, but damn it'd be nice if it seemed like he was even trying to be 2015-vintage Milf.

That guy could play.

 

[rnabokov]

You ask for specific examples of what people mean when they say he needs to be more involved, only to then complain when someone provides you with exactly that.

I don’t care if he isn’t a leader, or whatever other excuse you want to make. FFS, he has played the best part of 200 NRL games.

If, at this point in his career, he can’t find ways to get more involved in a game than he currently is (which is bordering on not at all for the most part), then that’s on him and no one else.

It most certainly isn’t because he’s not Lockyer.

Let's just hope he gets back to his best as soon as possible, for his sake, and for that of the team

 

[Finbar]

Locky says that Dearden isn't a logical replacement for Milf because he's an organising half, not a running half. At the moment we've got Milford who isn't running or organising anything. Our team looks like it needs direction on the field more than it needs Milford's ineffective runs, so I think Dearden truly is the most logical replacement for Milford.

 

[Mum-the-meatloaf]

Yeah 100% he's not doing his job. Saw some others say offer yom to clubs while paying half his wage. Agree.

 

[heartly87]

Milford is not Thurston. He never was, is or will be. He was paid to do what does when we signed him, in those heady days of '15 and '16 when he was allowed to play his natural game behind a well formed pack of forwards who had decent shape, structure and energy and desire. We have none of that at the moment, and that rubs off onto everyone, particularly those players who rely on that so they can show what they have.

What this club tried to do to Milford has been done to death on these forums - trying to turn him into Locky or Thurston, instead of building a team which capitalises on his strengths as opposed to watering them down by making him into something he simply isn't.

This side this year has failed to adapt to the new 6 Again rule, has failed to develop shapes and structures to compete against teams who have, and in such failures, has crippled our attacking weapons like Milford, as well as diminishing the energy - physical and mental, of the whole squad. There are few opportunities for Milford to use his footwork when all he has to work with is a shallow, uncoordinated attack, a new half back who is in a similar situation and a brick wall defence which rushes up to nullify our poor formations before we can start anything positive from happening. There is little support play, little offloading, little zeal and impact.

When Milford does get space and time, he has done well: set up Oates to bomb tries, set up Boyd to score them, kicked for Coates to score and his game generally in Rds 1 and 2 before the new Rule wrecked us, was ok given the essentially new team on the park. It was good to see in those 2 games for example that at least we had Fifita and TPJ planted on the edges with obvious results. Since then, injuries inexperience, constantly shuffled positions and poor adaptation to the changes in the game have screwed us.

I am like everyone here, hoping that the next fe games will see our side adapt better, and give Milford and Croft more space and time say to allow him to create the opportunities we so badly need.

I agree his energy is down and I am looking forward to the next few games, hoping Milford and Croft get what they need from the pack which has to perform as a group and individually, and a wide, deep backline running onto the ball. If not, then I am sure Milford will get cut as a fall guy more than anything and we will see Dearden come into the side equally set up to fail, which at his age and inexperience would be sad to see.

Fingers crossed

Look I agree with a lot of what you said but a half should also be engineering his own momentum. This goes for Croft and anybody else putting on a 6 or 7. They should be barking orders and telling their boys to go and when to go and who is with them ect. Dumb forwards get dumber under fatigue (I should know I was one).

It takes no skill to be on the ball like Thurston, that was nothing but ticker. He would follow the play and always be ready to get involved. Milf or anyone else for that matter can do exactly that part of Thurstons game, you just have to have the will to keep moving and not let the play die wondering.

The game currently is perfect for Milf, he should be around the ball at all times and his team should know he is there. At the moment our team looks like they don't expect anyone to be there. It is a shame that this squad has not just been freed up to go and play some footy.
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So Seibold should walk out on the field and tell them where to be? They get tired and lazy and it’s the job of the halves (fullback,too) to scream at the team to call the forwards out and get them moving where they should be. It’s that simple.

Why was Alfie called the General?

Walk no, he should run.

haha