Broncos quartet develop skills at AFL club

Four of the Brisbane Broncos biggest stars are spending time with the North Melbourne AFL club this week to enhance their skills and undertake professional development.

Anthony Milford, Kodi Nikorima, Jamayne Isaako and Andrew McCullough have joined Broncos assistant and kicking coach Kurt Richards at the Kangaroos for a visit that was co-ordinated by Brisbane coach Anthony Seibold and North Melbourne head of player development Aaron Greaves.

Greaves was previously at Port Adelaide in the same role and has a long-standing relationship with Seibold.

Leading rugby league players such as Cooper Cronk have developed their skills by learning from AFL players but Seibold said there were multiple benefits to the Broncos visit.

"I think there is a great opportunity for shared learning but it is not just about the kicking and catching skills," Seibold told NRL.com.

"For our four players that we've sent down there, it is an opportunity to observe professional athletes in their environment and look at some of the habits they have which allows them the opportunity to play in the AFL.

"It is a great opportunity for our guys to sit in on team meetings and observe what other players do to prepare.

"Kurt Richards, who is our kicking coach at the Broncos, does a good job with our kickers but it is also an opportunity for him to look at some other ideas and other ways of practising.

"I've done a lot of professional development with Greavsy. He organised the opportunity for our players and they are going to come up [to the Broncos] with a couple of their coaches and players in a couple of weeks."

It is not just about the kicking and catching skills

Broncos coach Anthony Seibold

Seibold sent several South Sydney players to Port Adelaide last year and was also involved in facilitating cross-code learning opportunities and personal development when he was at the Melbourne Storm.

He said the timing of the Broncos visit would allow his players to fully immerse themselves in the Kangaroos system.

"We've just come off the back of a camp at the Sunshine Coast last week and we are still a couple of weeks away from playing games so it is a good chance for those guys to immerse themselves in their program down there," Seibold said.

"They are doing everything the AFL players are doing for two days, and the gym sessions and conditioning that our conditioners have set for them."

Milford's kicking game was a noted area of improvement for Brisbane last year and NRL.com reported how sessions with Richards at the Brisbane Lions indoor training facility on his days off had reaped rewards.

As part of these sessions, the Broncos playmaker would kick the ball at targets that flashed up on a screen.

While the NRL can learn a lot from the AFL it is a two-way street, highlighted by the presence of former Brisbane Lions premiership winner Michael Voss at Brisbane Broncos training on Tuesday.

"I've got a really good relationship with Ken Hinkley who is the head coach of Port Adelaide and Vossy is the senior assistant down there and a Queensland sporting legend," Seibold said.

"Vossy contacted me and asked if he and the Port Adelaide skill acquisition coach Carl Woods could join us for the day. They have been at our meetings and at our field session and immersed in our program for the last 24 hours.

"They just wanted to see what we are doing here and if there is any takeaway for them to take back to Port Adelaide. Again, a great opportunity for some shared learning."