Milford leads Broncos’ Dragon- slaying charge
BRISBANE last night channelled the spirit of their 2015 grand final team as Anthony Milford produced his magical best to sink the Dragons and sound an ominous warning to NRL rivals.
Despite nursing a bung shoulder that could collapse at any moment, Milford showed he is as tough as he is talented after digging into his bag of tricks to spearhead Brisbane’s 24- 12 victory at Suncorp Stadium.
The triumph, Brisbane’s fifth in six games, kept Wayne Bennett’s troops in second spot – and they are generating the type of momentum that underpinned their most recent charge to the NRL grand final.
Last night represented the second anniversary of Brisbane’s 32- 6 carve- up of the same opponent, the Dragons, at Suncorp Stadium. That victory laid the platform for Brisbane’s surge to the 2015 decider.
Fittingly, it was Milford, Bris- bane’s best player in their grand final loss to the Cowboys, who shapes as the man to ensure the Broncos’ class of 2017 go one better.
Dancing like a Samoan Fred Astaire, the hot- stepping Milford toyed with the Red V, scoring a first- half try and setting up two others to leave the Dragons’ finals hopes on life support.
Milford was supported by a hungry Broncos pack that possesses both power and panache, with Josh McGuire setting up the try that gave ultra- consistent back- rower Alex Glenn a deserved double.
The loss of Andrew McCullough was supposed to sound the death knell for Brisbane’s title hopes, but his injury- enforced absence has forced others in the playmaking spine to assume more responsibility. Exhibit A is Milford. The quicksilver five- eighth is running into formidable form on the eve of the finals.
His 20th- minute try, which gave Brisbane an 8- 6 lead, was a tribute to his speed and potency in the red zone, but he is only one plank in a Broncos offensive system that is firing on the back of freedom.
Ben Hunt’s 33rd minute play was simply sublime. Playing against his future club, Hunt showed superb vision, kicking across field early in the tackle count and hitting a flying Jordan Kahu smack on the chest for a 14- 6 half- time lead.