Broncos playmaker Anthony Milford has conceded he will be playing for his future at Red Hill in 2021, with the 26-year-old unsigned past the end of this season.

The prolific five-eighth is set to return to full fitness for the Broncos' season opener against Parramatta in just over a week after recovering from a fractured hand sustained during the off-season.

Milford has received plenty of criticism since singing the most lucrative deal at Brisbane in the club's history, with further disapproval induced during the Broncos' horrid 2020 campaign.

A hamstring injury kept Milford to just 13 matches for the season, his lowest single season games tally in his eight years in the NRL.

Now entering 2021 under newly appointed coach Kevin Walters and the mounting pressure of a second-straight wooden spoon, Milford told The Courier Mailย he will need to impress once again to extend his stay at the Broncos.

โ€œI want to stay here,โ€ Milford told The Mail's Peter Badel.

โ€œThat (his contract) is out of my control ... what is in my control is the way I perform on a week-to-week basis.

โ€œIt is a pretty big year for myself. My manager has a job to do but itโ€™s up to me to perform.

โ€œI am ready for the challenge that comes ahead and whatever comes my way I will take it with two hands.

โ€œI need to be better everywhere, I have to improve my defence and make sure Iโ€™m in the game in attack.

โ€œโ€˜Kevvieโ€™ (Kevin Walters) knows Iโ€™m on my game when Iโ€™m running the ball.

โ€œI need to bring that consistently in games ... Iโ€™ll see how I go.โ€

Walters has flagged a shock halves partnership to take on the Eels, with Brodie Croft likely to start alongside Milford at Suncorp Stadium.

Croft showed plenty of flexibility in the Broncos' trial match defeat to North Queensland last weekend, with highly-touted teenager Tom Dearden failing to impress his new gaffer.

With the impending rise of young halves coming through the ranks, Milford echoed the necessity for him to lead by example amongst a youthful core.

โ€œWe have a younger group so we have to make sure we improve on last year and not end up with the wooden-spoon again," Milford added.

โ€œA big part of that is on my shoulders. I have been trying to focus a lot on myself this pre-season to make sure I am in the best physical shape I can be.

โ€œKevvie brings back the fundamentals of being a half. He is working hard with the halves and making sure we are getting our lines right and making the right calls. Itโ€™s little basic stuff I need to improve in my game.

โ€œI have passed all the tests on my hand to be passed fit for round one. I havenโ€™t played since the Dragons (in August) last year so I canโ€™t wait to get back out there again.โ€

Milford has played 138 matches for the Broncos since making the switch from the Raiders ahead of the 2015 season, scoring 47 tries in his time at Red Hill.