Had Thurston been named to start at five-eighth, with Milford on standby for him, the Maroons would have had to either rule the North Queensland superstar out by the weekend or release Milford to play for Brisbane against the Warriors on Saturday.
Broncos coach Wayne Bennett, who earlier this month released Milford to play for Samoa for the first time since the 2013 Rugby League World Cup in the Pacific Test against his England team, had not wanted to lose the 22-year-playmaker to Origin duty unless he was going to play.
Brisbane officials are now adopting the attitude that Milford’s selections means Thurston must be no chance for Origin I but although Walters said he was not expected to recover from a shoulder injury in time he has left the door open for a late change to the Maroons line-up.
“We will cross that bridge if we have to,” Walters said.
“John’s a very experienced player and we will sort that out as the week unfolds. We are preparing to play the game without him. I think we have got to be smart about the decisions around Johnathan and I’d like to see him available for Games II and III rather than Game I.”
Milford’s selection will not impact on his ability to play for Samoa at the end-of-season Rugby League World Cup after changes to the international eligibility rules enabling players who qualify for more than one country to represent a second-tier nation if not chosen by Australia, New Zealand or England.
As a result, Milford was able to play for Samoa in the May 6 Pacific Test at Campbelltown Stadium without jeopardising his eligibility for Queensland, whereas to do so in previous seasons would have put paid to his Origin hopes and has meant that he had chosen not to represent his heritage.
Walters said that Milford was now considered the heir apparent to Thurston, who has announced his intention to retire from representative football after the World Cup – although Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga said he after the May 5 ANZAC Test that he may be having a change of heart.
“We feel that Anthony deserves an opportunity at the next level to show everyone that he’s capable,” Walters said. “We just felt that Anthony is the right choice.
Samoa forward Josh McGuire was also named in the 18-man Queensland squad, which includes eight members of the Australian squad that beat New Zealand in Canberra – Thurston, Darius Boyd, Will Chambers, Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith, Michael Gillett, Michael Morgan and Sam Thaiday.
However, Walters could find no room for Kangaroos winger Valentine Holmes or veteran fullback Billy Slater, who is expected to be recalled to Australia’s World Cup squad after making a stunning comeback for Melbourne from shoulder problems that sidelined him for 18 months.
By Brad Walter | @BradWalterSport
Chief Correspondent, RLWC2017