MILFORD TO RETURN FOR CLASH WITH BRISBANE

ANTHONY Milford is set for a blockbuster NRL return against former club Brisbane after the NRL granted him the green light to resurrect his career with Newcastle.

NRL boss Andrew Abdo rang Milford on Saturday morning to tell the 27-year-old he was free to resume his career with the Knights from Monday.

But there is a catch. While he will be allowed to train with the club, the NRL has banned him from taking the field until round 11 – which coincides with the Knights’ clash against the Broncos. The Broncos cut him adrift last year after seven seasons.

Milford will have to complete multiple courses, including personal development programs that focus on anger management. The courses will take one month to complete.

The former Raider and Bronco will then need to meet with Abdo before he signs off on his official return to play.

“As a game, we don’t tolerate any act involving violence against women and our record reflects that,” the league boss said. “Where our expectations are not met, we always take strong and appropriate action, and that’s what has happened here.

“We were not satisfied that Anthony conducted himself to our standards and we have taken into account the incident itself, how long he has been out of the game and his commitment to the NRL’s rehabilitation measures in providing a pathway back to playing. That pathway will take effort and dedication and the player has assured us of his commitment to this.”

Milford pleaded guilty to one count of public nuisance and one count of wilful damage while three assault charges were withdrawn.

In a statement, the NRL said “the agreed facts state that Milford’s actions caused the woman to fall and hit her head on concrete”, which was a “serious concern for the NRL”.

The Knights lodged a contract for Milford last Friday and have handed him a deal for the rest of the season. He is expected to reunite with Wayne Bennett at the Dolphins next season.

The player is considering legal options after a deal with the Rabbitohs fell through.

“I am very comfortable with the way we have handled a complex matter,” Abdo said.

“We have been transparent and professional with the player and all sides through the process. Anthony was facing very serious charges. First and foremost, we weren’t in a position to consider his registration while he was facing those charges.

“With the matter being finalised by the court this week and having an application to consider, we’ve now completed that process.”

Milford will add much-needed depth to the Knights, who did not replace Mitchell Pearce in the offseason. Jake Clifford is entrenched in the halves but Milford could be an alternative scrumbase partner.