Wayne Bennett goes into bat for Anthony Milford, the million dollar mystery
BRONCOS coach Wayne Bennett has gone into bat for Anthony Milford, denying claims his star five-eighth is lazy and claiming he can still be a Brisbane legend.
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BRONCOS coach Wayne Bennett has defended Anthony Milford’s $1 million price tag, blasting claims he is lazy and declaring his inconsistent five-eighth can become as dominant as club legends Darren Lockyer and Allan Langer.
Milford heads into Thursday night’s derby against Johnathan Thurston’s Cowboys with the jury out on whether he can be the authoritative playmaker to ignite the Broncos in this year’s finals series.
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Beyond that, there are fears Milford may never live up to Brisbane’s huge investment, a financial outlay that amplifies pressure on the livewire pivot to break the longest title drought in Broncos history.
As he prepares for one final meeting with the retiring Thurston, his 2015 grand final nemesis, Milford is mired in the most inconsistent season of his 95-game Broncos career.
The past two games underscore Milford’s fluctuation.
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The Origin ace was magnificent in a 12-10 defeat of Cronulla 10 days ago, only to produce a bumbling display in last Thursday night’s woeful 36-22 loss to the lowly Bulldogs.
Milford’s erratic form in 2018 prompted The Sunday Mail to canvass the opinion of some of the code’s most accomplished figures to analyse his game at the Broncos and his future in the code.
“He will make it as a long-term No. 6,” a defiant Bennett said. “That’s Anthony’s position … and I am sticking with him.”
THE PRICE TAG
WHEN Milford inked a four-year, $4 million deal last year, he became the richest player in Brisbane’s 30-year history.
No other Bronco had ever secured a $1 million-a-season contract. Not Langer. Not Lockyer. Not Wally Lewis. Not Shane Webcke. Not Gorden Tallis.
But with big bucks comes big expectations.
The code’s other $1 million players, such as Thurston, Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater, are premiership winners, proven Origin stars and regular matchwinners.
Milford isn’t. He has struggled for consistency this season, begging the question — is Milford really worth $1 million?
“He’s not worth the $1 million at the moment,” says former Broncos skipper Tallis.
“The $1 million player is the marquee player. They win you games. He’s worth whatever a club is willing to pay for him but if you’re paying someone $1 million, they should win you games of footy week in, week out.”
Penrith premiership-winning great and former Queensland Origin lock Scott Sattler argues Milford’s worth goes beyond on-field performances.
“The $1 million salary is not just what he does on the field, but his appeal off the field for the club,” said Sattler, the 2003 grand final hero.
“Anthony Milford is the poster boy for a lot of kids and that’s great for our game. He has that cheeky smile and plays the game like we played when we were in the backyard, that’s what makes him so appealing.
“I can understand why the Broncos would pay $1 million for him.
“Will he be the player who lives up to be the game breaker, the match winner, the man who will control the Broncos every week? That’s something we can’t accurately answer for another few years when he’s 26 or 27 and has the experience of more than 150 first-grade games.”
THE ATTITUDE
MILFORD was rocked last year by claims he is a poor trainer who cuts corners.
Former teammate Benji Marshall was fingered for the alleged critique, a claim he vehemently denied when confronted by Bennett.
Privately, the Broncos have had concerns about Milford’s diet. He has reported for pre-seasons carrying excess kilos and has been seen labouring in conditioning sessions.
But Bennett hit out at suggestions Milford is unprofessional at training.
“People who say Anthony isn’t a good trainer, it’s rubbish,” he said. “Anthony doesn’t miss a training session. He could have a niggle and he refuses to miss a session.
“I have coached some of the greatest players the game has seen and some of them weren’t great trainers. Anthony is not the greatest trainer in the pack but he’s far from being a bad trainer. I would rate him a good trainer.
“Look, he doesn’t want to win the races at training. He wants to win the games and that’s when it matters most for me.”
CAN HE DELIVER?
WHILE winning premierships is a collective effort, every triumphant team has a centrepiece.
Lockyer and Langer delivered titles for Brisbane. As the squad’s highest-paid player, Milford is expected to win the Broncos’ next premiership.
It may not happen this season, but Bennett believes Milford is developing the tactical understanding of the game to complement the special gifts that win titles.
“I saw Darren Lockyer make the transformation. I saw Allan Langer make the transformation. Now Anthony is making the transformation,” Bennett said.
“People have criticised him and his contract this year but Anthony has improved enormously.”
Which begs the question, how has he improved?
“He has evolved,” Bennett continued.
“Anthony is on the journey of making better decisions and becoming a better team player. He is a brilliant individual, but we’ve had to identify flaws and work on Anthony’s development.
“Anthony is still a threat with the ball but he’s had to add other parts to his game. It takes time.
“I saw it with Johnathan Thurston. I watched him evolve as a playmaker and he ended up having a wonderful career.
“Natural talent gets you in front of the scouts and gets you an NRL contract, but to become an elite playmaker you have to work hard to succeed.
“Milford will be in it for the long haul because he is working and evolving.”
Asked if Milford can deliver Brisbane’s seventh premiership in the coming seasons, Sattler said: “Absolutely, 100 per cent. Milford can win a premiership for Brisbane. He will have his off days like anyone, but I have no doubt he has the talent to win a competition.”
THE DATA
STATISTICS paint a compelling picture of Milford’s season.
He is ranked No. 1 among starting halves for kick metres with a massive 6357, outperforming Thurston and Cronk, a brilliant achievement for a player who is not renowned as a natural kicker.
He is third in two other categories — tackle busts (53) and runs (133) — suggesting his offensive game is sound.
However, Milford is 16th for try assists (9) and 14th for line-break assists (10), a sign his option-taking and creative output for his teammates needs improvement.
“Anthony’s kicking game this season is vastly improved,” says former Broncos pivot Lockyer.
“Even against the Bulldogs the other night, when the game was still there to be won, he was turning the Bulldogs around with his kicking options.”
Bennett adds: “Players are creatures of habit, but the great players develop other implements that allow them to reach new standards.
“Anthony’s kicking game has improved enormously in the past 18 months. He kicks the ball now like he was a born kicker. He wasn’t a natural kicker when he came here and it has taken years of practice.
“That is part of his maturity, knowing when to kick and when not to kick, which helps with managing games. It (kicking) is becoming part of his arsenal.”
THE PROBLEM
TALLIS and Sattler believe Brisbane’s halfback, Kodi Nikorima, is too similar in style to Milford.
They are adamant the Broncos need a Cronk-style organiser to allow Milford to relax and be a free-running five-eighth.
“The way Anthony plays, he needs to play with a real solid halfback,” Tallis said.
“To me (Milford and Nikorima) both want to play the same style. Every halves combination is different.
“The best example is Kevin Walters and Allan Langer (legendary Broncos halves). They were two totally different players.
“Milford needs someone who steers the ball around and gives him the ball when he wants it and sees an opportunity.”
Sattler agreed.
“Brisbane need to buy a halfback to complement him,” he said.
“I remember Shane Perry was a great foil for Lockyer when Brisbane won the premiership in 2006. He barked at the forwards and got the side to the key parts of the field for Locky to work his magic.
“I think Nikorima can be a fantastic No. 14, but he and Anthony are too similar to be a long-term scrumbase pairing.”
THE FUTURE
MILFORD’s scrumbase rival this week, Cowboys champion Thurston, is adamant the Broncos pivot will become a 10-year superstar.
“He is capable of leading the Broncos side around,” Thurston said.
“Someone like Darren Lockyer is around the club if he needs to bounce ideas or needs some mentoring. But for me, he is a future star.”
Perhaps the final verdict should go to Lockyer, the last man to deliver a Broncos premiership in the No. 6 jumper Milford now wears.
“I believe he will be a long-term six,” he said.
“Talent is never going to be the issue for Anthony, it’s just about his attitude and how bad he wants it.
“NRL players tend to get better with their work ethic as they mature and Anthony is entering his prime years.
“He came on to the scene as an 18-year-old, so he is still young and his game management is the one final area he needs to address.”
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