OPINION Why Milford can be Broncos version of No.1 gun Tedesco

McHunt

McHunt

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Aug 25, 2018
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Broncos fullback Anthony Milford.



Why Milford can be Broncos version of No.1 gun Tedesco

Joel Gould
NRL.com
Thu 22 Aug 2019, 07:01 AM


Anthony Milford has expressed his admiration for the play of James Tedesco and Broncos legend Steve Renouf insists he can follow in the footsteps of the Roosters custodian if he backs his natural instincts at fullback.

Milford has twice run for more than 200 metres in the past six weeks in the No.1 jersey after switching from five-eighth and has been a key figure in Brisbane securing nine competition points in those games. Milford looked up to Billy Slater and Karmichael Hunt when he was coming through the junior grades and has noted the strengths of Tedesco’s game where the Roosters fullback is constantly around the ball and looking for any opportunity to inject himself and showcase his dazzling running game.

"He is always there and putting himself in positions where he gets the ball and breaks a few tackles and scores a few tries," Milford said. "I am enjoying my time there [at fullback] and I just need to get better and keep improving every week. I started there at the Raiders and got my first fullback job down there and took it with two hands. I am living my dream."

Renouf said the key to Milford’s continued improvement was playing with an uncluttered mind. "He has got the potential to be the Broncos’ Tedesco. When Milford is on fire he is second-to-none," Renouf told NRL.com. "Milford is suited to fullback and just needs to back his instincts. He will do that when he is relaxed. Wayne Bennett would say to me ‘you think too much, just play’. It is the same for Milford. Just get that ball and see where it takes you. "When Milford plays his natural game he is just the same as Teddy. I watched him come through the juniors in the 16s and 18s at Logan, when my son was playing for Norths, and he was outstanding with his speed and feet and no-one could get near him."

The Broncos scored a slick try last week against Penrith when Milford injected himself down the right side to put Jamayne Isaako away. It is an area of Brisbane’s game that still needs refining but Milford said it was "pleasing to see set plays work and combinations clicking at the right end of the year".

Milford will continue to work with five-eighth Darius Boyd on the left side of the park but now has a new halfback in Sean O’Sullivan to scheme alongside with Jake Turpin missing the next two games through suspension. He said it would be a seamless transition to work in with the former Rooster.

"He will slot right in and he knows all the calls. It will be a comfortable position for him," Milford said. Milford has had plenty on his plate at the back in recent weeks and is called on to do a lot more kicking in general play than most fullbacks. It is an area where Renouf said O’Sullivan, a natural half, could be a great asset to unlocking Milford’s best. "Milford has a lot of responsibility in this team with his kicking as well. He is a senior player but he does need someone to take the pressure off him," Renouf said. "Sean O’Sullivan can come in and do a lot of the kicking against Souths and that should set Milf up to do more running of the football, which is when he is at his best."
 
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I have no doubt that Milford could be our version of Adam Doueihi at Fullback
 
Wow a Steve Renouf article not hyping up an aboriginal broncos centre. This is rare
 
"He will slot right in and he knows all the calls. It will be a comfortable position for him,"

Wait, we have calls ?? Run yourself, I guess that's a call.
 
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MILF really needs to work on his kicking game. Doing floating bombs all day is a snooze fest.
 
There’s no way it’s not a coaches directive
We've been doing the same for years... hell even PWall bombed to the corners religiously

It's an NRL wide tactic
 
Milf 3rd @ 5/8 on states team if the decade on nrl.com. gillo also 3rd and macca 5th .
 
Milf has hardly been our worst performer, but he is not earning his reported near on a mil pay packet. With that pay you need to be able to be the difference between two sides and have a very strong impact on the outcome of the game (smith, cronk, thurston).

If another team went gunning for him, i would not bust our back account.
 
Milf has hardly been our worst performer, but he is not earning his reported near on a mil pay packet. With that pay you need to be able to be the difference between two sides and have a very strong impact on the outcome of the game (smith, cronk, thurston).

If another team went gunning for him, i would not bust our back account.

Well he’s currently getting paid to play two positions.
 
Milf has hardly been our worst performer, but he is not earning his reported near on a mil pay packet. With that pay you need to be able to be the difference between two sides and have a very strong impact on the outcome of the game (smith, cronk, thurston).

If another team went gunning for him, i would not bust our back account.
I agree we aren't seeing value, but next is when I will say yay or nay. He hasn't had any kind of stability since hunt imo
 
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This is where i agree with you, this is seibolds fault for not giving him a defined role or structure to play in.

What’s hard about this instruction?

‘Milf you do all the kicking and all the support play and set up and score all the tries ok? And when you get tackled, you better be there in support of your own falling offload. I also want to do Darius’ and Macca’s job for them and while you are at it, shave those sideburns! Also, take a pay cut.’
 
He seems to be in the middle of the field roughly 80% of the time just waiting for tackle 5 to put a bomb up. The other 20% is either moving more to the right edge, or being in the middle of the field and passing the ball to Boyd on the left edge.

His current role is so frustrating to watch. As long as he's going to be the main kicker, he'll never be fully effective at fullback. If he has to kick, at the very least swap him and Boyd around, so Boyd passes the ball to him on the left.
 
I had the brainwave thisarvo that perhaps Siebs is making Milf do so much (and so not do any of it brilliantly) to drive his asking price down for when we need to re-sign him in a year or so. Once he's locked up, he'll get role clarity and become the superstar he was always destined to be (I make no comment whether that's in #6 or #1).

Seibs is a genius!! :rooock:
 

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