Cowboys opt out on signing Mbye

Battle for Milford is six-horse race

THE Broncos remain confident of retaining Anthony Milford as six NRL rivals, including Melbourne, circle the Queensland Origin hopeful.

The battle for Milford’s signature goes beyond the Storm, with five other NRL suitors lodging expressions of interest in the Broncos ace.

Milford’s agent Sam Ayoub yesterday confirmed an approach from Melbourne, who are scouring the market for a big-name playmaker to replace Maroons halfback Cooper Cronk next season.

Broncos hierarchy were planning to announce Milford’s retention a fortnight ago after tabling a three-year deal worth $2.7 million – the richest in Brisbane’s history.

Milford has told Broncos powerbrokers he is keen to ink the extension as soon as possible, but the deal has been held up by uncertainty over the NRL’s salary cap.

That has opened the door for the Storm, whose interest has yet to be converted into a formal offer. Milford would be the perfect replacement for Cronk, who will quit the Storm at season’s end, but Ayoub says his client’s preference is to remain at Red Hill. NORTH Queensland have ruled out signing Moses Mbye after the Bulldog was shopped to the Cowboys as a successor to Johnathan Thurston.

Cowboys recruitment chief Peter Parr last night moved to scupper speculation Mbye will be in Townsville next season as the player-transfer market hits overdrive. It is understood a third party contacted the Cowboys in the past fortnight inquiring about the possibility of Mbye moving to north Queensland.

Mbye, who signed a fouryear extension last year, was so concerned about his future he personally asked Des Hasler if the Bulldogs coach was keen to offload him. Hasler vehemently denied shopping Mbye, but a third-party with no links to the Bulldogs flagged him as a recruit as the Cowboys prepare for life after Thurston.

Under the mooted plan, Mbye would eventually partner Michael Morgan in the Cowboys’ halves, but Parr said North Queensland could not afford him under the salary cap.

“I don’t know Moses personally and while he’s a good NRL player, we’ve got the nucleus of our squad all secured for next year,” Parr said.