If a list of the worst contracts in NRL history was to be made, Anthony Milford’s four-year extension in Brisbane will go down as potentially the poorest of the lot.
Well, it certainly hasn’t made Milford poor, but you get the idea.
A reported $1 million per year for each of the last four years, Milford was supposed to be the man to take Brisbane into the future and return them to the heights of their run to the 2015 grand final.
But it just hasn’t happened, and other clubs, including the Melbourne Storm, who were reported to be interested in Milford at the time of his last contract signing have probably been breathing a sigh of relief ever since.
While the whole plight of the Broncos can’t be blamed on Milford – a half might as well stay in the dressing rooms if the forwards are being rolled every week – he hasn’t made any improvements to the situation as a half on his sort of money should be able to do.
In saying that, all of Matthew Lodge, Payne Haas and Tevita Pangai Junior ran for more than 100 metres as the Broncos attempted to stick in the game.
At 26, the Broncos half is now one of the most experienced players in the Broncos line-up, and yet, based on last night’s effort in what was an eventual heavy loss to the high-flying South Sydney Rabbitohs, you could argue it was Milford’s influence which stunted Brisbane time and time again as they, at times, managed to match it with Wayne Bennett’s side.
To be fair, the Broncos were on the back foot for a large chunk of the game, but a period of the first half should have seen them put points on, only for Milford to constantly stunt their fifth tackle options.
Focusing on the first 40 minutes alone, and there were at least four or five occasions where Milford was almost the sole reason the set ended as it did, whether it was putting a kick dead, dying with it on the last or generally having poor communication.
For the man supposedly leading the Broncos attack, that simply isn’t good enough, and while he turned up in defence with some good tackles every now and again (although he missed five as well), that isn’t what he is in the team for, and nor was it going to make a difference when the inexperienced right side combination of Jordan Riki, Tesi Niu and Xavier Coates were guarding the most potent left edge in the competition.
It was an absolute bloodbath at times on that side of the park, with Alex Johnston’s try untouched the one highlight which you could point at to sum up Brisbane’s defensive communication.
And so, while all those issues will haunt the Broncos as they try to turn themselves from the 2020 wooden spooners into something better during this campaign, the first five rounds and last night’s effort have proven Milford just isn’t the man to carry them into the future.
When you begin a rebuild, the most experienced and highest-paid players need to be guys who are reliable and consistent from week to week.
Anthony Milford (Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)
While Milford may never have been that, the situation he is in is almost unwinnable, given the partners he has played alongside in the halves. He needs to play alongside an organiser, allowing him to run the ball at will, and he hasn’t had that in Brisbane.
Nonetheless, he stunted Brisbane badly last night, and it’s questionable whether Kevin Walters can wait until the end of the season to dispose of their million-dollar man.
Now that may seem harsh, but the Broncos need to look towards the future, and based on comments made in the media this week, it is becoming quite clear that Milford won’t be part of that vision.
Sure, it’s not exactly a great look to have the club’s most expensive player running around in reserve grade, but if Brisbane want to get anything out of this season which they can build on for 2022, then a halves combination of Tom Dearden and Brodie Croft, for example, may be the way to go.
It’s highly doubtful Milford is going to be dropped straight away, particularly given the opposition, but even in Round 3’s victory over the Bulldogs, he was uninspired for much of the contest, although the same could be said about most of his teammates.
In saying that, some of the stats are worrying if the eye test doesn’t tell you enough. 20 missed tackles in five games, only running 46 metres from his six attempts last night, no try assists since the opening game of the season, barely a line break to speak of. It paints a picture of a player who can’t play his role in the team, even if that role isn’t what he is designed for.
There is little doubt that Milford isn’t the only change the Broncos need to make. Walters has a stumbling, bumbling team on his hands who just aren’t in the battle most weeks.
While it’s hard to work out where the replacements are going to come from, the combination of Riki, Niu and Coates needs experience in a hurry, while Richie Kennar would have proven more useful as a turnstile last night. John Asiata has provided little off the bench, and in general, the work ethic and defensive structure of the side is missing.
Walters has a mountain of questions to answer, even if some of them almost don’t have an answer.
But the biggest among them regards Milford.
He has to be approaching his final warning in a contract year.
mushi
Roar Guru
Sorry forgot about the NRL rules of discourse like brandy forgot about his diatribe
Emcie
Roar Guru
Mushi, you're doing it again. You can't go around taking things people say and apply it to their own words when they were clearly said specifically criticising someone else. It's not about black and white interpretations, it's about a feel for the conversation
mushi
Roar Guru
Yep can't blame the player for taking the money.
mushi
Roar Guru
Greg Alexander, the guy that as a panthers board member literally laughed at the suggestion that fairness should ever be a consideration in player/club dealings? “Who’s fair? Are you serious? Are you being serious saying fair?” “Those people have got no idea about how the game works and if you can name some of those people I’d love to give them a call and say, ‘are you kidding me?’” Maybe Greg needs to call himself
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
Brandy's comment of 'stole money for four years' - best ever. If players can have 1 good year, their agent demands a new contract or they walk (John Bateman), so the clubs pay them the good coin to keep them - then the clubs have the right to say "you're playing like crap, we're only paying you half of what you're on"
Crow
Roar Pro
Ther is a lot of pundits all chirping about the decline of Milford during the past six years. The talk of his big money contract and the poor performances make for reading however it is all in one direction with Milf being hung. Does anybody including Walters have a back up plan?
Zak
Roar Rookie
I agree Don. David Klemmer is a classic example of a forward with mongrel in him and it’s no coincidence that the Saifiti brothers have thrived with the example Klemmer set when he went to the Knights.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Drivin all night, my hands wet on the wheel... We got a thing that we call radar love...
Kerry Hanson
Guest
“Only” won two premierships. The bitterness Is delicious.
Kerry Hanson
Guest
Golden Bullet ? They wrote Radar Love I think .
Rellum
Roar Guru
Even at his best Oates couldn't catch covid in the US
Soda
Roar Rookie
Wants to be a first grader
Emcie
Roar Guru
He wanted to be a forward, that put him way down the pecking order. He wants to be a winger again this week apparently
Soda
Roar Rookie
Justin poore at parra was a nice flop.
Soda
Roar Rookie
Cripes I wonder what he did to deserve that? I assumed he was injured. I wonder how long g before Oates ends up at the cows or something
Chris Love
Roar Guru
Scott no one can blame a player for signing a $4m contract for sure. But they can blame a player for taking that money and not being the one that sets the example every week. If you’re on a $1m a year you are expected to put everything you’ve got into every tackle. You’re expected to open your mouth and take control of the attack when in the opposition 20. You’re expected to get the ball in goal more often than kicking dead. You’re expected to be such a threat in attack that when you go to the line and do pop the short ball to a barn storming 2nd rower that the defence isn’t lining them up. Milford hasn’t done any of those things consistently for 80 minutes a game for more than 4-1/2 years. If no one had seen his talent at Canberra and the glimpses he showed in 2015/16 and they were asked, “how much do you think he’s on” the answer would have to be bottom dollar. I think a package of Adam Reynolds and Milford for a total of $1m would actually work wonders for Milford and the broncos. He needs a dominant gun half to do all the organising, kicking and marshalling. The problem for milf is that he should only get 2-250k out of that 1m split. Any coach that pays him north of say $400k is a dead man walking if he doesn’t show his best on his next contract. That coach would have to be considered arrogant to assume he could get that out of him.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
Anthony Watmough says hello also.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
Gee Arey looks like the perfect fit for this team doesn’t he? Of all the comments above he seems to tick a hell of a lot of boxes. Seeing as Milford has milked about 4m from this club and returned results befitting a part time reserve grader giving a big chunk of that to Arey, say 750-800×2 or3 years, could be a magic bullet. If the news is true that Staags wants to play 6, Arey and Staags combination could be deadly, though I think Staags is best used as a strike weapon in the centres. Then they just have to find a gun fullback. Of which I don’t see any in Brisbane at the moment. Then a lock with some mongrel to tie the centre up would work wonders. Who’s off contract at the end of they year could fit that bill?
Succhi
Roar Rookie
I don’t think Milf has ever been worth his price tag - but the guy has gone through a lot of change at a club that is struggling to find a post Bennett identity, and in a one team town, plus a jumper that is almost sacred(#6) within the Broncos. I think once he signs with a new club and is not a marquee $1m player (and doesn’t have Alfie in his ear every 5 min) he will do a lot better. But I just can’t work out if he is a half, 5/8 or fullback?
Don
Roar Rookie
Offload Milford, Glenn, Oates, Lodge and Croft. Look at an example of what a hungry mature bloke can do with a chance...David Mead. Stop chasing and overpaying for potential and start paying a fair dollar for what a few good mature players can bring to the overall group. A few of the Broncos and Cowboys have been drinking their own bathwater for too long. Wake them up with notice that they are on the trade market and you'd rather pay someone to take them off your hands, instead of having you hang around stinking up the house and bludging.