Broncos coach Kevin Walters has blamed “social media d—heads” for ruining departing Brisbane five-eighth Anthony Milford’s career.
Walters reportedly shed a tear about Milford’s demise at the club at the Broncos’ end of season awards last week.
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Prop Payne Haas won a historic third consecutive Paul Morgan Medal as Brisbane’s player of the year.
Haas became the first Bronco since Allan Langer to win the award for three years running.
Yet Milford’s exit seemed to have an impact Walters.
Walters was an assistant for Wayne Bennett when Milford was the best player on the field in Brisbane’s 2015 NRL grand final loss to North Queensland.
The two reportedly shared a moment in the sheds after the game, with then assistant Walters promising the star they would ultimately win a premiership together.
In the end it was Walters who showed Milford the door.
The first year NRL coach pointed the finger at “social media d—heads” for bringing down Milford and said the former Origin playmaker proved he was still a bona fide NRL player in the last few weeks of the season, News Corp reports.
The final year of Milford’s controversial $1 million-a-season deal at the Broncos was difficult to comprehend since he was once dubbed the most electrifying player in the competition.
He was dropped numerous times by Walters and at one stage spent time in the Queensland Cup.
Milford has played 189 NRL games during his nine-year career with the Raiders and Broncos as well as seven Tests for Samoa and two State of Origins for Queensland.
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