Anthony Milford will be forging his own path on a personal Origin odyssey when he enters the Queensland Emerging Origin Squad camp in January.
Touted as a look at the next generation of Queensland players, the squad will bring together 20 of the brightest young stars from across the NRL for the pre-season camp.
While Milford’s dream may have to wait with incumbents Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston firmly entrenched in the halves, his selection in the Emerging Squad is a step in the right direction.
“It’s one of my dreams to play Origin and to be part of that arena,” he said.
“I’m going to have to work hard this year and hopefully all that hard work pays off.”
While Milford continues to pursue his Origin dream, his pathway is looking very different to the men he is looking to succeed.
Milford is 95 games into his NRL career and the 2017 camp will be his fourth consecutive year while Thurston had played only 39 games before being thrust into the starting halfback role.
Thurston had been part of the Queensland Emerging Origin Squad on three occasions, which is a stark contrast to Cronk who made his sole appearance in 2006 before his Origin debut in 2010.
The experienced Cronk also had 150 games under his belt before cementing his spot as the bench utility and going on to own the halfback role.
Milford's long attachment to the program means when the time comes, he will be ready.
