In 2015, Anthony Milford was one freakish play from Michael Morgan away from winning a Grand Final and a Clive Churchill Medal.
He was the Broncos best player and would have been awarded the medal for best on ground which would have capped off an incredible season for the Brisbane playmaker.
Regardless of the result, Milford would surely go down as one of the all-time greats at Brisbane given his talents and the projected improvement given his young age.
Unfortunately it hasn't quite worked out as many had expected, with Milford now playing for his future in the Queensland capital.
ANTHONY MILFORD: Broncos open to re-signing playmaker
Milford, still only 26, should be entering the peak of his career, and has shown some glimpses in 2021 of what he can continue to provide for either Brisbane or a new club.
Having stated he is open to a move despite returning to the NRL lineup following a stint in the reserves, we will look at the five most likely places Anthony Milford will land in 2022.
The obvious choice, and still where I believe Milford will be playing his football in 2022 is his current club. Yes, the Broncos recently dropped him to reserve grade and no they're yet to offer a (public) deal to their star five-eighth, but Milford took the demotion extremely well and seemed to have returned with a new lease on life.
Truthfully the two-time Origin rep probably needed a kick up the backside to restart his career. That said, the Broncos have pretty much had the "throw it to the Milf" game plan for three seasons now. We've seen a revolving door of halves partners, whilst the entire Broncos outfit has suffered over the past few years.
With Milford having stated his willingness to move on if Brisbane don't come to the table, I expect some movement. If Milford plays well over the next month-or-so I don't believe Brisbane will want to lose him. If they sign Adam Reynolds then that combination makes a lot of sense. If not, then a Shaun Johnson/Milford combo creates excitement too.
Despite playing some pretty decent football across eight rounds, Kieran Foran isn't getting any younger. Des Hasler won a title with his current six and seven but surely knows it's time to look toward the future. Milford, at 26, could play with DCE for the rest of the latter's career and then take over as the experienced playmaker.
Josh Schuster is supposedly the long-term option at six but is playing so well in a ball-playing second-row role that perhaps Hasler can proceed with all three. Schuster is only 20 and despite a lacklustre season or two, Milford has plenty of experience to pass on.
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The Sharks are likely to be looking for a new halves partnership in 2022 after 'losing' Chad Townsend and with contract negotiations with Shaun Johnson reportedly failing to progress. The club has been heavily linked with Adam Reynolds, but Craig Fitzgibbon may look to bring the former Samoan half to the club either way.
As mentioned, a potential partnership with Adam Reynolds makes a heap of sense. Reynolds can run the game allowing Milford to run and attack as he sees fit. Milford's best performances came playing next to Ben Hunt who is a similar type of player to Reynolds. This would be a "for fit" signing and truthfully I don't hate it for the right price.
A left-field option but with Blake Green's career winding down and Kurt Mann not setting the world on fire, Milford presents a potential partner to Mitchell Pearce. Much like with the aforementioned Reynolds halves pairing, their games suit.
Jake Clifford has signed to play for Newcastle from 2022 onwards, meaning the Milford link is probably not going to eventuate, but given Clifford's loss of form and relegation from the first grade set up, perhaps the Knights might have a little peek.
Totally cheating here by naming an entire competition but truthfully I couldn't tell you right now who needs a half and who doesn't. That said, Milford still has the talents to absolute blow the Super League apart. With all due respect, he's a far superior player to the likes of Sezer and Austin who have dominated in the Old Dart.
Milford is entering his prime. A rejuvenated, fit and firing Milford could streak ahead to a Man of Steel award for any club in the competition. If Milford is open to the potential move, this could be a club future-altering move for any club willing to extend the deal.