Darius Boyd says Anthony Milford has the defensive strength to handle the step up to State of Origin

DARIUS Boyd says Anthony Milford is Origin-ready and that the Broncos $4 million man will go to another level in a Maroon jumper.

Broncos Anthony Milford. The Brisbane Broncos vs. Gold Coast Titans at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Pic Peter Wallis

BRONCOS captain Darius Boyd has declared Brisbane’s $4 million man Anthony Milford Origin-ready and will go to another level in the Maroons jumper.

Milford enters Saturday’s Origin shootout with Manly rival Daly Cherry-Evans at Suncorp Stadium buoyed by a new four-year contract keeping him at Brisbane until the end of 2021.

The Broncos pivot officially inked the deal on Friday, making him Brisbane’s first $1 million player on the eve of his playmaking duel with Maroons rival Cherry-Evans.

With Johnathan Thurston in doubt for Origin I, Queensland coach Kevin Walters will run the rule over Milford and Cherry-Evans’ Maroons bona fides tonight at Suncorp.

Milford was famously roughed-up in a State of Origin under-20s match in 2014 and there are concerns he could be defensively battered in the Origin arena.

Milford is in the frame for his State of Origin debut.

But Maroons ace Boyd launched a passionate defence of Milford, saying he would thrive alongside Melbourne’s Queensland duo Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk.

“Milf’s ready for Origin,” said Boyd, a veteran of 26 games for Queensland.

“I’ve realised having Cam Smith and Cooper Cronk around you, it lifts your game and you only have to worry about your own performance.

“With those guys in the Queensland team, Milf would really shine in the team not having to worry about anyone else but himself.

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“That’s the quality you get with playing with the best players in the game, you get to focus on your game and they make you a better player as well.

“Milf has a few things he has to worry about, not just Cherry-Evans. He has been great since Ben Hunt (halves partner) has been injured, he has taken the team on the back of his shoulders a lot more.

“His game management has improved. He has a few more weeks to impress for Queensland.”

In his final game for the Queensland under-20s three years ago, Milford was mauled by the Blues.

Wearing the No. 6 jumper as skipper, he was targeted by NSW’s posse of big men led by 114kg prop Matt Lodge. Walters was Queensland’s under-20s coach that night and watched Milford endure a horror night in a 30-8 flogging.

Milford’s new contract makes him one of the highest paid players in Broncos history.

But 104 games in the NRL furnace has convinced Walters the stocky Milford, who stands 176cm and weighs 90kg, can handle a Blues barrage.

“Milf would be fine defensively,” he said. “He is a pretty solid defender and if we did go down that path with Anthony, I wouldn’t have any problems with him defending in the frontline.

“There’s been worse defenders who have played five-eighth for Queensland ... I’ll put myself in that category.”

Broncos coach Wayne Bennett was rapt to secure Milford in the face of poaching raid from Melbourne. He said the four-year extension would help Milford develop into one of the NRL’s superstars.

“We were always on our toes with him, we didn’t want to lose him,” he said.

“He’s 23 and by the time he finishes his next contract he should hopefully be one of the top players in the game.”

Asked if he should be picked for Origin I, Bennett said: “That’s not my decision. We all know what Anthony can do ... it gives them a lot more confidence about themselves (once they play Origin).”