Anthony Milford

Anthony Milford (born 11 July 1994) is a Samoan international rugby league footballer who plays as a five-eighth for the Souths Logan Magpies in the Intrust Super Cup.

Milford has previously played for the Newcastle Knights, the Brisbane Broncos and the Canberra Raiders in the NRL. He has also co-captained Samoa, and represented the Australian Prime Minister's XIII and the Queensland Maroons. He has also played as a fullback and halfback in his career.

Milford was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and raised in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He is of Samoan descent. He is the cousin of St. George Illawarra Dragons players Francis Molo and Michael Molo.

Milford began playing his junior rugby league for the Souths Juniors in Acacia Ridge. During his teenage years, he attended Forest Lake State High School and St Peter Claver College in Ipswich, and was selected for the Queensland and Australian Under-15 Schoolboys in 2009. While at the school he represented the Under-15 Queensland and Australian Schoolboys' sides in 2009. In 2010, Milford represented the Queensland Under-16s, while playing for Souths Logan Magpies. Milford graduated from their rugby league program in 2011. In 2012, Milford represented Queensland Under-18s, playing halfback in their 24–18 win over New South Wales.

Milford joined the Canberra Raiders in 2012, leading their SG Ball side to the Grand Final, which they lost 42–20 to the Balmain Tigers. Later that year, at just 17 years old, Milford debuted for the Raiders Under-20s team. Milford played 14 games, scoring 13 tries and helped the Raiders make the Grand Final, in which they lost to the Wests Tigers 46–6. In September 2012, Milford was set to be named in the Junior Kiwis side to face the Junior Kangaroos, before he officially pledged his allegiance to his birth country of Australia. In November 2012, he was rewarded with a new contract at the Canberra Raiders, keeping him in Canberra until the end of 2014. In December 2012, Milford was named in Queensland's 2013 Junior Emerging Origin Squad. Milford played 20 games, scored 20 tries, kicked 64 goals and 1 field goal for 209 points in his U20s career from 2012 to 2013.

In 2013, Milford trained with Canberra's NRL squad in the pre-season, despite still having two years left of NYC eligibility. In Round 5, Milford made his NRL debut for the Canberra Raiders against the Sydney Roosters, playing off the interchange bench in Canberra's 24–22 comeback win at Canberra Stadium. In Round 10 against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Milford scored his first and second NRL career tries in Canberra's 30–20 loss at Remondis Stadium. Milford was named captain and halfback of Queensland Under-20s State of Origin team, scoring a try in the 36–12 loss to the New South Wales Under-20s at Penrith Stadium.

On 31 August, Milford and Canberra Raiders teammate Josh Papalii were fined by the club for an alleged drinking incident two days before Canberra's 50–16 loss to the New Zealand Warriors. Milford finished his debut season in the NRL being named the Raiders Rookie of the Year with him playing in 18 matches and scoring nine tries. Milford was a nominee for the Rookie of the Year. Milford played for Samoa national rugby league team in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, playing in all of their four matches, scoring one try and kicking nine goals. Milford made his Samoan international debut against New Zealand at fullback kicking 2 goals in Samoa's 42–24 loss at Halliwell Jones Stadium. Milford scored his first international try against France in Samoa's 22–6 win. Following the World Cup, On 27 November 2013, Milford signed a two-year contract (worth $900,000) with the Brisbane Broncos for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, due to family reasons.

Early in the 2014 NRL season, Milford was being pursued by the Canberra Raiders. Coach Ricky Stuart was keen to keep him in the Nation's Capital; however, Milford decided to stick with the contract he signed in 2013 to join the Brisbane Broncos. In May, Milford was named for the Queensland Under-20s squad to play against the New South Wales under-20s, Milford played at five-eighth in QLD's 30–8 loss at Penrith Stadium. In June, Milford was named in the QLD Maroons 22-man squad for Game 2 to be selected for the final interchange bench spot but New Zealand Warriors Forward Jacob Lillyman ended up being selected for the final spot over Milford. Milford finished the 2014 NRL season with him playing 23 matches, scoring 12 tries, kicking three goals and kicking two field goals in his last year with Canberra. On 9 September 2014, Milford was selected in the Australia Kangaroos 2014 Four Nations train-on squad, but later didn't make the final 24-man squad. On 12 October 2014, Milford played at five-eighth for Prime Minister's XIII against Papua New Guinea, scoring a try in the 34–16 win at Kokopo.