Anthony Milford says ‘a fear of failure’ is reason behind his form surge

A BRUTALLY honest Anthony Milford knows exactly why his form has surged this season, a deep-rooted fear he will fail.

A BRUTALLY honest Anthony Milford knows exactly why his form has surged this season, a deep-rooted fear he will fail.

Milford is still haunted by the ghosts of ANZ Stadium last October.

He never wants to experience a loss so gutting again and said the thought of history repeating was driving him.

“A fear of failure,” Milford said when asked why he was playing so well.

“The way we missed out last year is driving me.”

Fear and failure are words NRL players rarely utter in the macho world of rugby league but Milford isn’t afraid to admit what motivates him.

The 21-year-old five-eighth is dominating the NRL’s attack this season.

He is in the NRL’s top three for tries (8), try-assists (10) and linebreak assists (10) and in the competition’s top 10 for line breaks (7), tackles busts (40) and kicks forcing drop out (8).

Anthony Milford during Broncos training. Pic Annette Dew

He is a Dally M Medal favourite and despite playing in a stacked team has been the Broncos’ best player this year.

Milford made a decision at the start of this year that he wanted to love football and the grind of the NRL.

He wants to use the pain of their grand final loss to the Cowboys as motivation rather than an anchor weighing him down in the past.

“One thing I told myself this year was to go out and enjoy my footy as much as I can,” Milford said.

“I think that is showing on the field.

“The boys are working too hard for us to let them down.

“The circumstances of how we lost… it took me a while (to get over).

“The boys worked really hard for us just to be pulled up short.

“That’s what drives me and a lot of the boys.”

Milford was actually the best player on the field on grand final day and would have won the Clive Churchill Medal if Johnathan Thurston didn’t kick that field goal.

However, Milford has begun to understand what Thurston’s life is like.

Anthony Milford says a fear of failure is behind his surge in form. Pic Darren England.

In his past two games, rival NRL teams have mercilessly targeted Milford.

The Cronulla Sharks’ made bashing Milford a key plank of their game plan as they shut him down with line speed and made sure to rough him up every time he was tackled.

Manly, through the likes of Martin Taupau, are sure to try the same tactics that Thurston has had to play through for a decade.

Thurston has learned to turn it into an advantage, putting support runners into holes when players fly out of the line at him.