Clause opens door for Milford to exit
Kodi revelling in ‘freestyler’ role Rep selection an extra motivation
WARRIORS veteran Blake Green has no doubt Brisbane will single out Kodi Nikorima for special attention in a fascinating sub-plot to tonight’s NRL clash in Auckland.
In the same breath, Green warns the visitors to be wary of the new attacking dimension, and results, the former Broncos halfback has brought to the Kiwi club this month.
They’ve gone from four straight losses to consecutive wins, with Nikorima’s incisive wider running game providing a key point of difference.
The 25-year-old New Zealand international made eight tackle busts in last week’s 30-10 dissection of Penrith, more than he managed in any of his 86 appearances for Brisbane across five seasons.
Green is convinced Nikorima is revelling in a “freestyler” role, unshackled from the extra responsibilities bestowed on him at the Broncos.
“That’s probably one of the reasons he decided to come to our footy club, because he didn’t have to worry about steering people around and wondering about what tackle it is, what the clock is,” said Green.
“He can just get out there and play footy.” COWBOYS coach Paul Green hopes the enticement of Origin selection will give his players an extra edge against Canberra tonight.
North Queensland have made the 2171km roadtrip to the nation’s capital aiming for a much-needed win against the fourth-placed Raiders.
It will be the last chance for Origin hopefuls to sell themselves to the state selectors ahead of Monday’s team announcement.
The Cowboys boast up to 10 potential Queensland and NSW representatives.
Most eyes will be on dummy half Jake Granville, with selectors seriously considering the 30-year-old to make his Maroons debut.
The Cowboys’ poor start to the season has placed question marks over Maroons incumbents Gavin Cooper, Michael Morgan, Matt Scott and Coen Hess.
“We’ve got quite a number of guys in the frame (for Origin) so hopefully that’s motivation for them to play well individually and together we can have a good team performance on the back of that,” Green said. “(There’s) plenty to play for.” ANTHONY Milford has become an open target for NRL rivals with a clause in his $1 million-a-season contract allowing the star Broncos fiveeighth to field formal offers later this year.
As Milford prepares for tonight’s Broncos-Warriors clash in Auckland, it can be revealed the Origin ace’s mega fouryear Broncos deal contains a 12-month option in his favour.
It means Milford can test his value on the open market from November 1 this year – a worrying scenario at a time when the Broncos face salarycap pressures to retain off-contract quartet Tevita Pangai Jr, Corey Oates, Andrew McCullough and Jake Turpin.
Milford is not the only Bronco with an option in his favour, with Jack Bird, Matt Lodge and skipper Darius Boyd also technically free agents next year.
When Brisbane trumpeted Milford’s retention in May 2017, the club announced a straight four-year contract, until the end of 2021, which made the pivot the highestpaid player in Broncos history.
But Milford’s deal is actually three years with the fourth and final year an option in his favour – accelerating the prospect of a poaching threat.
There is no suggestion Milford is unhappy at the Broncos, but his manager confirmed the structure of the contract gives the 24-year-old the flexibility to explore his options.
“Anthony’s contract situation does mean that he can have formal talks with clubs from November 1 this year,” his manager Sam Ayoub said.
“The Broncos have been very good to him and it’s quite possible that Anthony will want to extend his stay there, but at the same time every player has to weigh up their options.
“At the time (of brokering his current deal), we had discussions about whether to negotiate a three or four-year deal and it was agreed to do three years with an option in Anthony’s favour.”
It is debatable whether Milford could earn more on the open market.
But the Broncos have been blindsided before, most notably two years ago when the Dragons tabled a $6 million deal to poach Milford’s then halves partner Ben Hunt.
Adding to the intrigue, Bird and Boyd were believed to be locked in until the end of 2021, but the pair both have options in their favour, meaning they are off-contract next year.
Lodge has a two-year option. If he chooses to activate it, he would remain at Brisbane until the end of 2022.
The salary cap will make it difficult for the Broncos to retain everyone, but Ayoub believes the emergence of halfback Tom Dearden will help the Broncos keep Milford.
“Milford has now found his groove alongside Dearden. They really complement each other,” said Ayoub, who also manages Dearden.
“Milford’s form has picked up since Tom has come in. There is less pressure on Anthony to manage the game.”