Canberra Raiders recruit Sia Soliola knows firsthand the turmoil Anthony Milford endured living hundreds of kilometres away from his ill father last year.

The forward can sympathise as it's the exact reason he made the difficult decision to leave St Helens and join the Raiders this year.

Milford will return to Canberra with the Brisbane Broncos on Saturday for the first time since he left the Raiders to be closer to his sick father Halo.

The Raiders were shattered at losing one of the game's best young players, but Soliola has been in Milford's shoes and believes he had no other option.

Soliola made the tough call to end his five-year stint with St Helens, just days after winning a Super League title, to link with Canberra, desperate to be there for his Sydney-based father as he battled prostate issues.

In Polynesian culture family is everything, and the Auckland-born veteran knew being on the other side of the world wasn't where he needed to be.

"I know how he [Milford] felt because I came back for the same reasons. You have to do what's best for your family at the end of the day," Soliola said.

"You don't want to do anything you regret, that's the best thing you make with the decision you want to move on.

"You want to be close enough so if there was anything that happened to anyone, you can be there in a heartbeat.

"I fully understand Milford's situation."

Soliola said his father Seuaeto is on the mend, which has given him peace of mind to play consistently strong football for the Raiders.

The back rower and Canterbury player Sam Perrett's families visited Canberra Zoo on Monday after the Bulldogs' 41-34 win the day before.

"He was dealing with prostate problems and there was a cancer scare, but he's actually doing really good now," Soliola said.

"He's taking better care of himself but mum's a bit crook now with respiratory problems, it's just one of those things you deal with.

"But that's the whole point why we've come back here."

Soliola played alongside Milford with Samoa at the 2013 World Cup and expects the livewire five-eighth to return to Canberra primed for a huge performance.

Milford won the Mal Meninga Medal as Canberra's player of the year in 2013 and was again dynamic for the Raiders last year before signing with Brisbane.

"He's like a lot of players who face their old clubs, you're playing against old friends and you always want to get one up on them," Soliola said.

"Dealing with Milford is going to be tough, playing with him for Samoa he was special.

"He'll definitely be looking forward to to it. He seems like a guy who loves a challenge and when you put something like this in front of him, he'll go at it 100 per cent."

Milford forged his reputation as a strike weapon at fullback for Canberra, and is slowly easing into his role at five-eighth for the Broncos.

Soliola see similarities in his game to Raiders opposite number Blake Austin, who relies on his running game and instinct to make an impact.

"He seems like he's getting more comfortable in his role the more games he plays," Soliola said.

"It's his support play which is always going to be the best asset of his game. He seems like he's getting into their structures a bit

"Now he's partnering up with [Broncos halfback Ben] Hunt he can focus on himself and not have to organise as much.

"He's off the cuff, that's where he's dangerous."

SATURDAY

NRL round 12: Canberra Raiders v Brisbane Broncos at Canberra Stadium, 5.30pm. TV time: Live on Fox Sports. Tickets from Ticketek.