Seibold to get the best out of Milford

It has become premiership or bust this season for a Broncos side that made headlines all offseason and a big question mark for Brisbane is whether the big hire of former South Sydney Coach Anthony Seibold is able to get the best out of one of the most gifted players in the NRL, Anthony Milford.

Milford, 24, is coming off an impressive 2018 campaign in which he picked up Brisbane’s Paul Morgan Medal as the Broncos player of the year, but as seen in many Broncos games throughout his career, and in particular at the beginning of 2018, the run first playmaker has the tendency to get lost in games.

This coming season Milford is primed to build on his late season 2018 form, as Seibold will bring his style of play where ball movement is encouraged to a Broncos team that could definitely use a fresh look.

Milford himself stated that last season he was not able to produce his best football until the end of the season and that one of his main goals this season would be to find consistency in his performances.

The quick footed half, who was said to be in career best shape by Coach Seibold, believes that when he can perform consistently well each week he puts his team in the best position to win.

It was a successful first season in the top grade for Seibold with the Rabbitohs. The former assistant to Craig Bellamy and Michael Maguire brought his team from twelfth in 2017, all the way to a finals birth in 2018, before making the move back to his home state to coach the Broncos.

A huge benefactor of Seibold’s structural changes at the Rabbitohs was five-eight Cody Walker, who scored twelve tries and assisted in fourteen more.

Walker compares well to Milford as both play as running halves for their teams and have the ability to create something out nothing.

This season expect to see Milford make a jump to a constant threat for defences on a weekly basis just Walker was last season.

Seibold is not the only reason Milford will take a step forward, strike weapons in the backs include James Roberts, Corey Oates, Jamayne Isaako, Darius Boyd who had lingering injuries most of last season and do not right off Jack Bird just yet who Brisbane are hoping can regain his 2017 form when he won the premiership with the Cronulla Sharks.

Along with this Brisbane’s young and deep forward pack are now another year older and more experienced which is creating plenty of healthy competition for the final spots on the bench. When these big men are moving forward expect to see the shifty Milford take control and make many big plays for the Broncos.

The offseason has been a familiar one for Milford as he has again had to rehab from shoulder surgery. Other than a small scare at training last week Milford has said that his rehabilitation is going well and he plans to return to contact very soon.

Assuming the repaired shoulder continues to progress well, expect to see Brisbane's most exciting player push for a return to the State of Origin arena in June.

Another interesting talking point on the Broncos season will be whether or not Milford is able to continue to grow his halves partnership with New Zealand international Kodi Nikorima and whether Seibold will stick with Wayne Bennett’s pairing.

Nikorima was reportedly offered to the Warriors in the off-season but now it seems he will line up next to Milford as Brisbane’s first choice halves pairing, with new recruit from the Sydney Roosters Sean O’Sullivan, 20, expecting to begin the season in the Queensland Cup.

Brisbane begins their season against the Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park in Melbourne on Thursday 24th March.