Milf back to bury Broncs
KEVIN Walters has backed the decision to axe Anthony Milford as the former Brisbane playmaker declared he wanted to sink the Broncos in his River City return.
Milford will run out at Suncorp Stadium in Newcastle colours on Saturday night to face the Broncos in Brisbane for the first time since being shown the door by the club.
It has been nearly a year since Milford made his 151st and final NRL appearance for the Broncos following a turbulent seven seasons at Red Hill. Milford experienced a multitude of highs and lows during his rollercoaster relationship with the Broncos.
He was Brisbane’s best player in the 2015 grand final loss to North Queensland – his first year with the Broncos – and found himself dropped numerous times during his last season at the club. During that time Milford became the highest-paid player in Brisbane’s 34-year history with an infamous $4 million four-year contract that crushed him the longer it went on.
Now, he will run out at his Suncorp field of dreams for the 13th-placed Knights with little pressure on his shoulders looking to inflict Brisbane’s third straight defeat.
“It is going to feel a bit weird,” Milford said.
“It will be a strange feeling walking back into Suncorp and heading to the away sheds, but I’m looking forward to it and I can’t wait to show what I can do. I would love to get a win.
“The move to Newcastle has been good for me. I had a slow-ish start because I hadn’t played NRL for a while.
“I haven’t been stoked with our performances, but on a personal note I am just glad to be back playing football again.”
The last three seasons have been the toughest of Milford’s career.
His form was on a slippery slope as the Broncos plunged to the 2020 wooden spoon and he failed to bounce back last year, prompting Walters to axe Milford in his first season as Brisbane coach.
After Walters made the decision not to offer Milford a contract extension, it was like a weight had lifted off his shoulders and the maligned fiveeighth finished 2021 with a bang. The Milford of old was suddenly back, with his dancing feet and freakish talent reappearing out of nowhere, prompting suggestions the Broncos should have retained him to partner incoming halfback Adam Reynolds.
Walters maintains that it was the right decision to let Milford go and invest in rising star Ezra Mam.
“It was the right time for ‘Milf’ to go,” he said.
“His last six weeks for us last year was very good, but I felt he needed a change and he has got that change with the Knights. I’m certainly aware of Milf’s ability and he can be a game breaker for them this week.”