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Sport
Murray Wenzel

Milford handed Dolphins reins for Penrith test

Anthony Milford will wear No.6 for the Dolphins when they host premiers Penrith on Sunday. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Wayne Bennett has invited Anthony Milford to remind the NRL of his talent after confirming the Samoa international will wear the No.6 for the Dolphins against heavyweights Penrith.

The Queensland club will put their unbeaten Redcliffe record on the line on Sunday when they host the two-time defending premiers, who have successfully negotiated the State of Origin period to remain on top of the ladder.

Milford sparked the Dolphins in a golden-point defeat of Gold Coast last week that ended a four-game losing streak.

He will start in the halves this weekend.

Regular five-eighth Isaiya Katoa will revert to the bench, with the teenager poised to share the hooking role with Harrison Graham while Jeremy Marshall-King is injured.

"We all know what Anthony can do and how good he can be," Bennett said on Saturday.

"It's a good game for him to show us all the wonderful skills he has.

"It's a sell out, (against the) back-to-back premiers; doesn't get much harder, but it's a challenge we're all looking forward to."

Bennett felt the 19-year-old Katoa would benefit from taking a back seat in his debut season.

"We're just trying to get him out of the grind of NRL," he said. "It's a real grind and sitting on the bench won't hurt him."

Felise Kaufusi returns from concussion while regular fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow will play in the centres, where he starred for Queensland during Origin.

Penrith's Jarome Luai will play his 100th NRL game while halves partner Nathan Cleary is firming to return from a hamstring injury in what would be his 150th appearance.

Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has won six of his last seven games against Wayne Bennett-coached teams, while the Dolphins haven't emerged victorious from back-to-back games since the first two rounds.

"We'll have to bring our best game and that'll be a good starting point," Bennett said.

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