Ahead of his maiden World Cup Final appearance, Samoa and Dolphins playmaker Anthony Milford has refuted suggestions that his best is beyond him as the Pacific nation plans for what would be a historic upset.
It was an entirely different situation for Milford less than a year ago, when the Newcastle Knights gave him what almost looked like a final shot at securing a permanent NRL role. But he made the most of his opportunity and will now return to Queensland to help former mentor Wayne Bennett assemble a competitive Dolphins team.
It's not the first time Bennett and Milford have worked together. In 2015 the two combined to take the Brisbane Broncos to within moments of a premiership, with few arguing against the fact that Milford was best-on-ground and in some ways robbed of a Clive Churchill medal in a losing side after an incredible individual performance.
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This World Cup final is Milford's first final since that fateful day.
Though the 2015 Grand Final heartbreak is their most recognisable moment, Milford says Bennett has been a constant support throughout his career.
After all Bennett has done for the 28-year-old, including providing a character reference when Milford was facing jail time, Milford had no issue taking a pay-cut to repay the faith.
โA big part of me choosing the Dolphins was Wayne's loyalty,โ Milford told the Daily Telegraph.
โWhen you go through a tough time in life, you find out who you can rely on. Wayne was always there for me.
โWayne has done so much for me over the past 12 months and I'm just glad I'm back playing football again.
โIt was a pretty hard decision (to leave the Knights) but at the end of the day I had spoken to Wayne before coming to the Knights and Newcastle knew about it.
โI came to really like the Knights, I can see the direction (coach Adam O'Brien and skipper Kalyn Ponga) are heading in.
โThe Knights offered me a longer-term deal than the Dolphins, but I wanted to stick to my word to Wayne and made sure I stayed loyal to the people who were loyal to me.โ
Milford has played both the leading light and the supporting role in Samoa's attack so far this tournament, starring in the win over Tonga before playing a vital role in the win against England.
Though he's struggled for consistency in recent years, few who've seen Milford in full flight can forget what he's like at his damaging best. According to the man himself, the best is yet to come.
โI still believe some good years are ahead of me,โ he continued.
โI'm more experienced. I wouldn't say I know how to handle every situation on the field, but 10 years ago there were things in games I wouldn't even think about.
โI've had to change my game a little bit. I was younger at Canberra (his debut club) and lighter on my feet.
โI played with a lot of freedom, I didn't really think, I just played football with my natural instincts.
โNow as I've gotten older I'm thinking more about how I can impact a game and help the players around me, how I put my back-rower in a hole or set up my fullback.
โI don't just think of myself โ that comes with being a leader in a team.
โI still have the hunger to get back to my best. The fire is still burning and I want to win a comp. That's the dream.โ
