NRL 2021: Anthony Milford’s life and career at a crossroads
His career is on the line, but if Anthony Milford gets a chance to rediscover the twinkle toes and deception of his glory years, then landing with the Rabbitohs could well be a sound choice.
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Rabbitohs star Cody Walker believes South Sydney can save Anthony Milford’s career following the dramatic demise of the richest player in Brisbane Broncos history.
Milford’s NRL career is at a crossroads after the enigmatic playmaker was charged with three counts of assault following an incident in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley last Monday.
Police were called to a disturbance about 2am and arrested Milford, later charging Brisbane’s $1 million man for allegedly assaulting three people, including two women.
The incident followed Milford’s seven-year stint at the Broncos coming to an inglorious end after he was dropped multiple times during his final season at Red Hill.
Milford, 27, was one of the NRL’s top talents after starring in Brisbane’s 2015 grand final loss to North Queensland, where he went within a whisker of clinching the Clive Churchill Medal.
His star was on such a rise the ultra-successful Storm flew Milford in a private jet to Melbourne in 2016 to try and land the signature of the NRL’s hottest free agent.
That prompted the Broncos to offer Milford a four-year $4 million contract, making him the highest-paid player in the club’s 33-year history.
But from that moment, Milford’s career has been on a downward spiral.
While he played well in 2017, statistics show Milford’s form steadily declined in the years to follow, prompting the Broncos to this season sever ties with the man tasked with delivering Brisbane its first NRL title since 2006.
Now, Milford will face court on October 20 in a case which could have major ramifications for the one-year lifeline issued to him by South Sydney for the 2022 NRL season.
If Milford is found guilty of any criminal charges it could have dire consequences for his 2022 season, Souths deal and potentially his career.
Walker has become one of the NRL’s top players at the Rabbitohs and said Milford could resurrect his career if given the chance at Redfern.
“The one thing Souths will do for Milf is provide the right environment for him,” he said.
“They are a club that cares for its players. The big thing for Milf will be to come here with no expectation, or at least less expectation than he had at Brisbane. He will be coming into a successful system where we won’t be expecting him to be dominating.
“He can come here, slot in here and hopefully enjoy his football and do whatever is needed, whether that’s at seven or 14.
“He is capable of playing a number of roles. Hopefully Milf comes here with a great mindset to improve himself and have some fun.”
A product of Souths Acacia Ridge, Milford was snapped up by Canberra’s development system and burst on to the NRL scene in 2013 at the Raiders.
With his twinkle toes, deceptive speed and evasion he became an instant hit at fullback, prompting the Broncos to bring him back to Brisbane in 2015 following an ugly contract spat with Canberra.
Former Canberra fullback Gary Belcher remembers being disappointed about the Raiders losing Milford.
“I was really dirty that he came back to Brisbane,” he said.
“They (Raiders) were filthy too. They spent a lot of time and money bringing him through the system and knew he had a lot of potential.
“It was probably inevitable for him to come home. I went through it as well. You think it’d be nice to be at home and still playing footy.
“I thought he was the next big thing and he almost was. But you’re not the superstar of your chosen sport until you do it consistently year after year after year and that just didn’t happen.”
Playing five-eighth and thriving under Wayne Bennett, Milford helped the Broncos to the 2015 decider at age 21 and was sensational in the grand final before Johnathan Thurston’s extra-time field goal won the game for North Queensland.
He continued to develop over the next two years, winning games for Brisbane with clutch plays and looked set to finish his career at Red Hill.
But Milford’s form dipped during 2018 and he struggled to bounce back when Anthony Seibold replaced Bennett in 2019.
The last two years of Milford’s Broncos tenure were painful to watch at times as a once supremely confident and talented player looked all at sea, only finding form in his final three appearances for Brisbane.
Belcher believes Milford can regain his mojo if given the opportunity at Souths and the infamous $4 million deal may have been his undoing.
“He hasn’t lost his ability, but he’s certainly lost his drive or something,” he said.
“In those last couple of games the Broncos might have been thinking ‘shit, we should have kept him’.
“I tend to think it’s got a fair bit to do with his contract and feeling comfortable and not as desperate as he needs to be. Some footballers need to be playing for their future and Milford has shown he might be one of them.
“He nearly won the competition (2015) and was one of the best players on the park but he has somehow lost his way. I don’t know if it’s his drive or confidence, but he’s realised now what’s at stake.
“He may have also been a victim of the players around him and the club. They’ve been pretty ordinary for a couple of seasons. People can say it’s because of Anthony Milford or maybe it’s because of the players around him.
“He showed he can turn it around. He would have been questioning himself so it was important for him to play well and realise he hasn’t lost it.
“He is going to be relatively confident if he gets to take up his contract with the Bunnies.”
And that remains one of the great unknowns as doubt hovers over the future of Anthony Milford in the NRL.
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