Broncos star Anthony Milford dropped to reserve grade, given expiry date

Broncos star Anthony Milford has been dumped to reserve grade after reportedly being given a final chance to save his career.

Anthony Milford is yet to find a home for 2022.

Under-fire Broncos star Anthony Milford has been dumped to reserve grade for the first time in his career.

The Broncos confirmed on Monday morning Milford will play in the Queensland Cup this weekend after he was spotted training away from the Broncos’ first-grade side.

Spectators at the club’s first training session this week following their loss to South Sydney on Thursday night spotted a series of changes to the misfiring Broncos backline, headlined by Milford’s first axing in his career.

Channel 7’s Chris Garry reported his axing this week is the first time Milford will play in reserve grade since he began his career with the Raiders nine years ago.

The Broncos completed training with Brodie Croft partnering Tom Dearden in the halves with the former Storm playmaker being left in limbo in recent weeks, starting on the bench.

The Broncos are also set to drop young speedster Tesi Niu with Jesse Arthars spotted training in the centres on Monday.

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Anthony Milford is out in the cold.

It shows it is crunch time for the Broncos after winning just one game in the first five rounds - forcing coach Kevin Walters to make changes.

It came on the same day reports emerged Milford has been given just 10 more games to save his career in Brisbane.

Just days after Walters declared the five-eighth didn’t deserve a contract extension after a miserable start to the 2021 season, the Broncos have made a decision to give their highest-paid player 10 games to earn his next deal.

The Courier-Mail reports the Broncos recruitment and retention committee wants to have a final decision on Milford’s future by June 30. The Broncos have made a rich offer to keep off-contract rising star Kotoni Staggs and reportedly see him as the club’s next five-eighth, leaving Milford out in the cold. The injured star is expected to return from a knee in around Round 14

The heat is also on off-contract stars Alex Glenn and Dearden — who has been linked with a move to the Cowboys.

The Broncos have the opposite problem with rising stars Xavier Coates and Staggs, who are hot-property on the open market and have left the Broncos in a fight to retain them.

The report reveals Milford is facing a pay cut of $500,000 per-season after he famously signed a four-year deal reported to have been worth around $4 million.

The likely pay cut comes with reports two Sydney clubs are still prepared to roll the dice on the former Raiders talent.

No smiles from Kevvie.

Although Walters praised Milford as having “his best game of the year” against the Rabbitohs, the 26-year-old was given a serve by rugby league great Mark Carroll on Fox League for not playing his natural game.

Anthony Milford is copping it sweet.

It comes after fellow Fox Sports analyst Greg Alexander said Milford had “stolen money from them for the last four years” as the axes continue to be sharpened.

“Put him in the forwards,” Carroll joked before continuing on. “Put him in the forwards, let him pack into a scrum and see how hard it is.

“Don’t worry about how much money he earns, he’s got so much natural talent, get the ball and take the defence on. All he wants to do is catch-pass all the time. Get on the back while the forwards are going forward. For the Broncos players, they need to look in the mirror, do your own job and it’ll come together.”

The club was also reportedly left unhappy with Milford and Glenn after they were spotted with disgraced former teammate Jamil Hopoate last week.