Phoenix Crossland has described Anthony Milford as a "great signing" for the Knights, saying he can't wait to pick the experienced playmaker's brain at training.
The 193-game former Broncos five-eighth looms as a likely threat to Crossland's place in the NRL side once he is cleared to play, but Crossland - a half who has been used as a utility off the bench in all but one game this season - views Milford's recruitment as a positive for both himself and the club.
"He is just another brain I can pick at the moment, which is really exciting for me because he knows a lot about the game," Crossland said ahead of his side's clash with Melbourne on Sunday.
"He has only been here for a week-and-a-half so I haven't gotten too much detail off him yet and he has been doing a lot of extra training so I've been letting him get back in the groove of things.
"When the time comes, I will definitely start to pick at him a lot more because he has got a lot to offer 'Milf'.
"I reckon he is a great signing for the club.
"He adds depth to many positions, and he has got that experience, so it won't just be me learning off him, it will be a lot of the boys that haven't played as much NRL as him."
Crossland, who has played 23 NRL games and debuted a day before his 19th birthday in 2019, said Milford was a player he watched as a junior. He admired the 27-year-old's attacking flair and hopes to be able to incorporate some of the Samoa international's skill set into his own game.
"When he was at the Broncos, that's when I was starting to develop as a footy player so I definitely watched him a lot," Crossland said.
"He is a bit of a different sort of style half to me, he is obviously a bit more skilful and stuff. But he has come from some good systems, he has played at the Raiders and the Broncos under Wayne Bennett so he has got a head full of knowledge. I'm excited to learn off him."
Crossland, 21, spoke similarly in the preseason of learning from halfback Adam Clune, who the Knights signed as a back-up half before veteran Mitchell Pearce departed the club late last year. Clune and Crossland had somewhat of a race for the position over summer.
Clune, 26, was handed the No. 7 jersey to make his own and Crossland has filled a bench utility role each week except for when Clune missed the round-six game against the Dragons.
"It's obviously a bit of a different sort of challenge and I think I'm starting to get a bit more used to it," Crossland said of the utility role.
"I'm happy to play anywhere in the team as long as I'm playing consistent first grade, which I'm lucky enough to be able to be doing at the moment.
"I'm a bit of a bigger body as far as halves go, so I feel like I can hold myself in the middle as far as halves go.
"I'm enjoying the way we play, we have that ball-playing 13 so it's sort of like another half, you've just got to make a few more tackles. I'm loving it and hopefully I can get a few more games there."
Milford has signed with the Knights for the remainder of this season but can not play until round 11, subject to further NRL approval.
