The Newcastle Knights have lodged a contract with the NRL to have Anthony Milford to join them for the remainder of this season.
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The Knights finally confirmed their interest in the former Broncos star on Thursday night by revealing they had applied to have Milford revive his career in the Hunter.
Talk of a potential deal first emerged in late January, weeks out from the start of the season, and heightened after assault charges Milford was facing in a Brisbane court were dropped earlier this week.
"We have lodged a contract for Anthony Milford and we are waiting to hear back from the NRL," Knights recruitment chief Clint Zammit also told Brisbane media.
"Hopefully Anthony can play for us this season."
The NRL has reportedly rejected a request for Milford to begin training with the club while it completes an investigation into the off-field incident that prompted the court proceedings against the 27-year-old play-maker.
Three assault charges Milford was facing in a Brisbane court following the incident in September were dropped on Monday.
He pleaded guilty to one count each of public nuisance and wilful damage, after admitting he threw a garbage bin and damaged a car, and was placed on a two-year good-behaviour bond and ordered to pay repair costs.
No longer facing the more serious assault charges, Milford was expected to ink an NRL deal and begin resurrecting his rugby league career, most likely at the Knights, but the NRL chose to take its own look at the off-field incident.
The Knights are understood to be keen to bring Milford in for 2022 before he makes an expected move to the Dolphins next year, but had remained coy on their interest until tonight.
The club would not comment on Thursday on the reported request to bring Milford to Newcastle to train, but Rugby League Players Association boss Clint Newton slammed the NRL, arguing for greater transparency for players in similar situations.
"This is another example of where the NRL's process of registration is completely flawed," Newton told News Corp.
"It comes back to the process between the NRL and the player being backwards.
"It should be transparent to anyone much earlier whether the NRL would go down an integrity unit route, sanction the player or provide a clear way back so they can appropriately plan for their career and their family.
"Whether it's Anthony or other players unable to get registered contracts, the standard response is, 'no, we are not going to consider anything because no-one is trying to register a contract'.
"But that doesn't appear to be the case this time."
AAP reports: South Sydney coach Jason Demetriou is disappointed his club was not able to come good on a deal to sign Milford after the court proceedings derailed his planned move to Redfern.
Milford had agreed terms to sign with the Rabbitohs after finishing up with Brisbane last NRL season.
The 27-year-old, a veteran of 193 games, was viewed as someone who could help, and act as cover, for Souths' halfback Lachlan Ilias.
"I'm disappointed he didn't get to play for Souths due to the incident," said Demetriou, who previously worked with Milford when an assistant coach at Brisbane.
"I've been in regular contract with him making sure he's ok. He's a human, he makes mistakes."
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