Captain’s call to be slayer of Dragons

BRONCOS skipper Darius Boyd has hit out at Anthony Milford’s critics as the Broncos five- eighth prepares to clash with Ben Hunt in a $ 2 million Suncorp Stadium showdown.

Milford and Dragons halfback Hunt will go toe- to- toe in a battle of the $ 1 million- a- season playmakers in Sunday’s elimination final.

Hunt, 28, played 187 NRL games for the Broncos before heading to St George Illawarra this season after Brisbane prioritised the re- signing of Milford to the richest deal in the club’s 30- year history.

The Broncos simply couldn’t afford to retain both Milford and Hunt, and opted to keep the Samoan international they snared from Canberra in 2015.

Hunt can strike the ultimate revenge by knocking the Broncos out of the NRL premiership race when he returns to Brisbane for the first time in Dragons colours.

But to do that he must outpoint Milford, whose form has been exceptional in Brisbane’s three- game winning streak heading into the finals. Milford and halfback Kodi Nikorima’s combination is firing at the business end of the season and Boyd said he wouldn’t swap them for anyone.

“If we do our jobs, they will be our best players this Sunday,” he said.

“Our six and seven are freak athletes. When our back five are returning kicks, our halves can do their job.”

Statistically- wise, Milford and Hunt have had eerily similar seasons.

They have both scored six tries, Hunt leads try- assists 17- 16, Milford is up in line breaks 13- 9, while line break assists are even at 13- all.