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Message: [QUOTE="Danoz Direct, post: 2648447, member: 8457"] [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Guardian Sans][h=1]Auckalnd Nines 2015: New Bronco Anthony Milford ready for take off[/h] [COLOR=#484F54][B] [LIST] [*]CHRIS GARRY [*]NEWS LIMITED [*]JANUARY 30, 2015 11:00PM [/LIST] [/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=#484F55][B]SHARE[/B][/COLOR] [LIST] [*] [*] [*] [*] [*] [/LIST] [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Guardian Sans][/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#000000][FONT=Guardian Sans] [COLOR=inherit][h=3]The NRL 9's is a risk worth taking[/h][/COLOR] [COLOR=white][CENTER] [/CENTER] [/COLOR] [IMG]http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/external?url=http://content4.video.news.com.au/foxsports/prod/archive/2015/01/30/FSD_300115_NRL_HART_NIGHT_LOOKLIVE.jpg&width=650&api_key=kq7wnrk4eun47vz9c5xuj3mc[/IMG] [COLOR=white][CENTER][/CENTER] [/COLOR] [COLOR=white][/COLOR] [IMG]http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2015/01/30/1227202/651311-7906d9de-a82f-11e4-8a24-c30b87d14c14.jpg[/IMG] [COLOR=#FFFFFF]Anthony Milford of the Brisbane Broncos during a fan day in Auckland.[/COLOR] [LIST] [*=left][URL="http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/auckalnd-nines-2015-new-bronco-anthony-milford-ready-for-take-off/story-fniabm4i-1227202651365#"]The NRL 9's is a risk worth taking[/URL] [*=left][URL="http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/auckalnd-nines-2015-new-bronco-anthony-milford-ready-for-take-off/story-fniabm4i-1227202651365#"]Anthony Milford of the Brisbane Broncos ...[/URL] [/LIST] [B][B]IT HAS been 20 months, dozens of meetings, hours of negotiations and too much controversy for his liking, but Anthony Milford finally plays for the Broncos on Saturday.[/B][/B] Better yet, Broncos fans will witness Milford version 2.0 in Saturday’s Auckland Nines as the noticeably stronger star revealed he had stacked on muscle under Wayne Bennett.“Home is home,’’ Milford said in Auckland.“It will mean a lot to me and my family to finally get to wear the jersey of the team I grew up supporting.’’Growing up in Inala, bamboozling rival kids in games of street touch, Milford was Broncos-mad.While he did no't have posters on his wall, he had something better.[B][URL="http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/auckland-nines-2015-how-your-nrl-club-can-have-success-in-the-pre-season-tournament/story-fni3fbgz-1227201972756"]HOW YOUR TEAM CAN WIN THE NINES[/URL][/B][B][B][URL="http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/auckland-nines-2015-full-schedule-for-this-weekends-tournament-in-new-zealand/story-fni3fbgz-1227198605993"]DRAW FOR THE AUCKLAND NINES[/URL][/B][/B][B][B][IMG]http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2015/01/30/1227202/651337-111deef4-a855-11e4-b4a3-9d4f296075c1.jpg[/IMG][/B][/B] [COLOR=#666666][B][B]Anthony Milford at Brisbane Broncos training. Pic Darren England.[/B][/B][/COLOR] [B][B]“When I went to the Ekka, the one thing I wanted every year was a Broncos showbag and thankfully, my mum would get it for me,’’ he said.[/B][/B][B][B]Apart from Shaun Johnson, Milford was the most popular player in Auckland during yesterday’s Nines fan day.[/B][/B][B][B]As he was followed by a forest of selfie sticks, it was easy to forget the supreme athlete has only played 42 NRL games.[/B][/B][B][B]He is the Broncos first true star since Darren Lockyer retired and will be wearing his No.6 jersey.[/B][/B][B][B]His path to Brisbane has been tumultuous.[/B][/B][B][B][/B][/B] [COLOR=inherit][h=3][B][B]NRL stars pumped ahead of Auckland Nines[/B][/B][/h][/COLOR] [COLOR=white][CENTER][B][B][/B][/B][/CENTER] [/COLOR] [B][B][IMG]http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/external?url=http://content4.video.news.com.au/foxsports/prod/archive/2015/01/30/FSD_300115_NRL_HART_AM_LOOKLIVE.jpg&width=650&api_key=kq7wnrk4eun47vz9c5xuj3mc[/IMG][/B][/B] [COLOR=white][CENTER][B][B][/B][/B][/CENTER] [/COLOR] [COLOR=white][/COLOR] [B][B]Aged 12, Milford wanted to be a Bronco but they signed his new teammate Kodi Nikorima instead.[/B][/B][B][B]Canberra development officer Brian Edwards, now with the Broncos, then signed Milford to the Raiders, who knew they had a star on their hands but were not aware how badly he wanted to stay in Brisbane.[/B][/B][B][B]In 2012, his first full year at the club, Milford considered packing his bags and returning to Brisbane regardless of what his contract said. He was talked out of it but the homesickness lingered.[/B][/B][B][B]The following year he privately hoped to be released to return home to his family and the Broncos were so confident of signing him for the 2014 season they did not recruit a true five-eighth and were eventually caught short.[/B][/B][B][B][IMG]http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2015/01/30/1227202/651822-124cc8fe-a855-11e4-b4a3-9d4f296075c1.jpg[/IMG][/B][/B] [COLOR=#666666][B][B]Kevin Walters and Anthony Milford at Brisbane Broncos training. Pic Darren England.[/B][/B][/COLOR] [B][B]Now aged 20, Milford is finally wearing the maroon and gold he dreamed of as a kid rummaging through a Broncos showbag.[/B][/B][B][B]“I am loving it at the Broncos,’’ he said.[/B][/B][B][B]“The support I am getting from the club, the fans and my family has meant a lot.[/B][/B][B][B]“My family are everything. When I came back it felt like home straight away.’’[/B][/B][B][B]Milford played five-eighth throughout the second half of last season and will partner Ben Hunt this season, playing on the left while Hunt attacks the right.[/B][/B][B][B][/B][/B] [COLOR=inherit][h=3][B][B]NRL Supercoach 2015[/B][/B][/h][/COLOR] [COLOR=white][CENTER][B][B][/B][/B][/CENTER] [/COLOR] [B][B][IMG]http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/external?url=http://content4.video.news.com.au/foxsports/prod/archive/2015/01/28/FSD_280115_NRL_MINICHIELLO_SUPER_COACH_VSV.jpg&width=650&api_key=kq7wnrk4eun47vz9c5xuj3mc[/IMG][/B][/B] [COLOR=white][CENTER][B][B][/B][/B][/CENTER] [/COLOR] [COLOR=white][/COLOR] [B][B]Now in his third pre-season, Milford's body has matured from a slender 80kg three years ago to 92kg.[/B][/B][B][B]“I am trying to be a better defender. I am playing five-eighth and I am doing what I can to get in better shape,’’ he said.[/B][/B][B][B]“I am in the front line of defence now and I know the opposition is going to send a lot of traffic at me.[/B][/B][B][B]“I have put on a few kilos (of muscle) so far. The strength and conditioners at the Broncos are second to none.’’[/B][/B][/FONT][/COLOR] [/QUOTE]

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