Anthony Milford might be without a current NRL deal for 2022 following the competition’s refusal to register his lifeline with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, but that hasn’t stopped Dolphins coach earmarking the playmaker as an option for the club’s inaugural season in 2023.
Milford was let go by the Brisbane Broncos at the end of his mega contract, which finished at the end of the 2021 season.
In what was a disappointing stretch at Red Hill for Milford, the Broncos finished in the bottom four during each of the final two years of his tenure at the club.
Milford, who has played 193 NRL games - 42 for the Canberra Raiders and 151 for the Broncos - then linked up with the South Sydney Rabbitohs on a one-year deal with a chance to rejuvenate his career.
However, that was put on ice by an off-field legal matter, with the NRL refusing to register Milford while he had an ongoing matter in the courts.
The playmaker, who played two games for Queensland between 2017 and 2018, is currently without a club for 2022 and beyond, although speculation has been running rampant that he could link up with the Newcastle Knhights for the remainder of the year at the conclusion of his court case, before heading north to Redcliffe in 2023.
Bennett has told The Daily Telegraph that he would love to sign Milford.
“Yes, I would love to sign Anthony, he is one of the most gifted players I have coached,” Bennett told the publication.
“He has an off-field matter to sort out, but at the right club, with the right coach, he will be a wonderful player again.
“He played some wonderful football for the Broncos in that period when we made the grand final in 2015 and if he is available pending the NRL’s decision, I would love to have him at the Dolphins for our first season.”
Milford previously played under Bennett at the Broncos, with the club going to the 2015 grand final while Milford formed a formidable halves combination with Ben Hunt, who is now at the St George Illawarra Dragons.