Anthony Milford

Background

Born in Logan, Queensland, Milford is of Samoan and New Zealand descent. He is the cousin of former Brisbane Broncos teammate Francis Molo.

Early years

Milford began playing his junior rugby league for the Souths Juniors in Acacia Ridge. During his teenage years he attended Forest Lake State High School and St Peter Claver College in Ipswich and was selected for the Queensland and Australian Under 15 Schoolboys in 2009. While at the school he represented the Under 15 Queensland and Australian Schoolboys sides in 2009. In 2010, Milford represented the Queensland Under 16s, while playing for Souths Logan Magpies. Milford graduated from their rugby league program in 2011. In 2012, Milford represented Queensland Under 18s, playing halfback in their 24-18 win over New South Wales.

Milford joined the Canberra Raiders in 2012, leading their SG Ball side to the Grand Final, which they lost 42-20 to the Balmain Tigers. Later that year, at just 17 years old, Milford debuted for the Raiders Under 20's team. Milford played 14 games, scoring 13 tries and helped the Raiders make the Grand Final, which they lost to the Wests Tigers 46-6. In September 2012, Milford was set to be named in the Junior Kiwis side to face the Junior Kangaroos, before he officially pledged his allegiance to his birth country of Australia. In November 2012, he was rewarded with a new contract at the Raiders, keeping him in Canberra until the end of 2014. In December 2012, Milford was named in Queensland's 2013 Junior Emerging Origin Squad.

2013

In 2013, Milford trained with the Raiders NRL squad in the pre-season, despite still having 2 years left of NYC eligibility. In Round 5, Milford made his NRL debut for the Canberra Raiders against the Sydney Roosters, playing off the interchange bench in the Raiders 24-22 comeback win at Canberra Stadium. In Round 10 against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Milford scored his first and second NRL career tries in the Raiders 30-20 loss at Remondis Stadium. Milford was named captain and halfback of Queensland Under 20s State of Origin team, scoring a try in the 36-12 loss to the New South Wales Under 20s at Penrith Stadium.

On 31 August, Milford and fellow Canberra Raiders teammate Josh Papalii were fined by the club for an alleged drinking incident two days before the Raiders 50-16 loss to the New Zealand Warriors. Milford finished his debut season in the NRL being named the Raiders Rookie of the Year with him playing in 18 matches and scoring 9 tries. Milford was a nominee for the Rookie of the Year. Milford played for Samoa national rugby league team in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, playing in all of their 4 matches, scoring 1 try and kicking 9 goals. Milford made his Samoan international debut against New Zealand at fullback kicking 2 goals in Samoa's 42-24 loss at Halliwell Jones Stadium. Milford scored his first international try against France in Samoa's 22-6 win. Following the World Cup, On 27 November 2013, Milford signed a 2-year contract (worth $900,000) with the Brisbane Broncos for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, due to family reasons.

2014

Early in the 2014 NRL season, Milford was being pursued by the Canberra Raiders, Coach Ricky Stuart was keen to keep him in the Nation's Capital however Milford decided to stick with the contract he signed in 2013 to join the Brisbane Broncos. In May, Milford was named for the Queensland under 20s squad to play against the New South Wales under 20s, Milford played at five-eighth in QLD’s 30-8 loss at Penrith Stadium. In June, Milford was named in the QLD Maroons 22 man squad for Game 2 to be selected for the final interchange bench spot but New Zealand Warriors Forward Jacob Lillyman ended up being selected for the final spot over Milford. Milford finished the 2014 NRL season with him playing 23 matches, scoring 12 tries, kicking 3 goals and kicking 2 field goals in his last year with the Raiders. On 9 September 2014, Milford was selected in the Australia Kangaroos 2014 Four Nations train-on squad, but later didn't make the final 24-man squad. On 12 October 2014, Milford played at five-eighth for Prime Minister's XIII against Papua New Guinea, scoring a try in the 34-16 win at Kokopo.

2015

On 21 January 2015, Milford was named in the Broncos' 2015 Auckland Nines squad. In Round 1 of the 2015 NRL season, Milford made his club debut for the Broncos at five-eighth against the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the Broncos' 36-6 loss at Suncorp Stadium. In Round 5 against the Gold Coast Titans, Milford scored his first and second club tries for the Broncos' in the 26-16 win at Robina Stadium. On 4 October 2015, he played in the Broncos' 2015 NRL Grand Final 17-16 golden point extra time loss to the North Queensland Cowboys. He finished off the 2015 season having played in all the Broncos' 27 matches, scoring 13 tries, kicking 3 goals and kicking 3 field goals.

2016

On 12 January, Milford was selected in the QAS Emerging Maroons squad. On 4 February 2016, Milford, along with eight other members of the Queensland Emerging squad were banned from Queensland State of Origin selection for 12 months after breaking team curfew. In Round 4 against the North Queensland Cowboys, in the Grand Final rematch, Milford kicked a field goal from 40 metres out to win the match for the Broncos 21-20 in golden point extra time, a redemption victory for the Broncos after last year's heartbreaking 2015 Grand Final extra time loss. In Round 7 against the Newcastle Knights, Milford scored his first career hat-trick in a masterful performance in the Broncos 53-0 flogging win at Suncorp Stadium. On 20 September 2016, Milford was added to the Australia Kangaroos 2016 Four Nations train-on squad but later make the final 24-man squad. On 28 September 2016, Milford won the Peter Frilingos Headline Moment of the Year award at the Dally M Awards, his match winning field goal in golden point extra time in Round 4 in the Grand Final rematch against the North Queensland Cowboys. Milford finished his solid 2016 NRL season with him playing in all of the Broncos 26 matches, scoring 14 tries, kicking 8 goals and kicking 4 field goals.

2017

In Round 8 of the 2017 NRL season, Milford was instrumental in the controversial 25-24 win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs, with a controversial try assist and a dubious 25 metre field goal. In the 69th minute of the game, Milford dived over the try-line but was held up by two Rabbitohs players. In the struggle to ground the ball, the ball was flinged out in the scuffle and it was ruled that the Rabbitohs players had raked it out, constituting play-on and resulting in a try to Tautau Moga. After the match, Tony Archer admitted the referees should have called held when Milford failed to ground the ball. Later on, Milford kicked the match winning field goal. However, slow motion replays showed that Milford had juggled the ball with his right hand as it hit the ground before picking it back up with his left hand, resulting in another controversial call. On 6 May 2017, Milford played for Samoa in the test against England, starting at five-eighth, scoring a try and kicking 1 goal in the 30-10 loss at Campbelltown Stadium. Due to main Queensland playmaker Johnathan Thurston sidelined with injury, Milford beat the likes of Michael Morgan, Daly Cherry-Evans and Cameron Munster to the vacant halves spot for Game 1 of the 2017 State of Origin series. On 31 May 2017, Milford his State of Origin debut for Queensland at five-eighth, showing some dazzling footwork and strong defence before taken off the field in the 53rd minute due to a concussion in the 28-4 loss at Suncorp Stadium against New South Wales. In Round 14 against the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Milford a suffered a shoulder injury during the Broncos 24-18 win at Suncorp Stadium and is currently expected to be sidelined for 6 weeks.