Milford ruled out of World Cup

Broncos coach

Wayne Bennett says

Anthony Milford is no chance of playing for either Australia or

Samoa in this year’s

Rugby League World

Cup.

Eligible for both countries, Milford will instead be forced to have surgery on his injured shoulder after dislocating it during

Brisbane’s six-point win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Round 14.

He returned to the Broncos side in Round 19 and has played injured since, battling through the pain to try and end Brisbane’s 11-year premiership drought.

The 23-year-old was prepared to continue playing in discomfort after the NRL season had finished, desperate to represent his country on the world stage.

But Bennett has quashed any such thought, saying his star five-eighth will be in for surgery as soon the Broncos’ season finishes. “[Playing] at the World Cup? Yeah that’s Milford’s idea of getting out of surgery. He’s no chance,” Bennett said.

“I’m happy for him to play but he knows what has to happen and I know what has to happen.

“Our intentions are for him to have surgery when the season is over. There is no alternative to that. There’s no grey area.”

Milford will instead have to settle for finals football, with his Broncos team well placed to go deep into September.

Brisbane will play the North Queensland Cowboys on Thursday night and a victory would mean the Broncos would finish the regular season in no lower than third position.

Although Brisbane have lost prop Korbin Sims for the season with a fractured arm, they have been bolstered by the return of two young enforcers who shape as key figures in the local derby.