Brisbane Broncos head coach Kevin Walters has slammed the critics of playmaker Anthony Milford as "social media dickheads" during a speech a the club's end of year awards night.
Despite Milford having played his last game for the Red Hill franchise, Walters was still keen to back the embattled half who is set to join Souths next season.
Many punters and pundits have been critical of Milford since joining his hometown team in 2015 due to inability to perform on a consistent basis whilst also earning nigh on a $1 million a season.
Having coached the 27-year-old in numerous capacities during the pair's stint in Brisbane, Walters was said to become emotional when supporting Milford earlier this week according to reports from The Daily Telegraph.
The six-time premier also publicly pointed to the quality and resilience of the Origin representative after rounding out the final three-weeks of his season strongly.
After being dumped from Walters' first-grade side after a poor showing against the Storm in Round 12, Milford hit back at his many knockers with a pair of tries, five try assists and an average of 185-metres run against the Warriors, Sharks and Knights.
The seven-time Samoan international will now cross the Tweed to link up with his old coach Wayne Bennett and replace the Brisbane-bound Adam Reynolds at Redfern in 2022.
