Michael Ennis

Last updated

Mick Ennis
Michael Ennis Bulldogs.jpg
Personal information
Full nameMichael Ennis
Born (1984-03-16) 16 March 1984 (age 39)
Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height179 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight87 kg (13 st 10 lb) [1]
Position Hooker
Club
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
2003–04 Newcastle Knights 202008
2005 St. George Illawarra 245440108
2006–08 Brisbane Broncos 438630158
2009–14 Canterbury Bulldogs 136172173
2015–16 Cronulla Sharks 5151022
Total274371101369
Representative
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
2009–13 NSW Country 30000
2009–15 New South Wales 80408
Source: [2] [3]

Michael Ennis (born 16 March 1984) is an Australian sports commentator for Fox League and former professional rugby league footballer of Irish descent. A New South Wales State of Origin representative hooker, he played for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Brisbane Broncos, St George Illawarra Dragons, Newcastle Knights and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, with whom he won the 2016 NRL premiership. [4] [5]

Contents

Playing career

Newcastle Knights

Ennis made his NRL debut for Newcastle in 2003. After a single game in 2003 he played 19 games during the 2004 NRL season for the Knights.

St. George Illawarra Dragons

In the 2005 NRL season's finals series Ennis was kicking goals for the St. George Illawarra Dragons as they went to within one match of the grand final but lost to eventual premiers, the Wests Tigers.

Brisbane Broncos

Ennis playing for the Broncos in 2008 Michael Ennis (Brisbane Broncos vs. Cronulla Sharks 2008).jpg
Ennis playing for the Broncos in 2008

Ennis's first season at the Brisbane club, in 2006, was cut short by a knee injury suffered in round 5 against the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Suncorp Stadium. While changing direction, Ennis snapped his anterior cruciate ligament and required a full knee reconstruction. Ennis missed the rest of the season, and subsequently, the premiership win in October. [6] As 2006 NRL Premiers, the Brisbane Broncos travelled to England to face 2006 Super League champions, St Helens R.F.C. in the 2007 World Club Challenge. [7] Ennis played from the interchange bench in the Broncos' 14–18 loss.

In the 2007 NRL season, Ennis made a return to first grade but was forced to work for his place in the side as a result of the good form of Shaun Berrigan at hooker. After some appearances from the interchange bench earlier in the season, Ennis was trialled at halfback during the final stages of Brisbane's round 10 loss to the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. He was retained in this position in the ensuing games with some success.

The 2008 NRL season saw Ennis reach the best form of his time at the Brisbane club. With stiff competition from recruit PJ Marsh, Ennis cemented a spot as the starting hooker and guided the Broncos to some impressive early victories.

In June 2008, Ennis signed a three-year deal to join Canterbury-Bankstown in 2009, joining a list of players to leave the Broncos. This was to be his 4th NRL club at 24 years of age.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

Ennis training with the Bulldogs in 2012. Michael Ennis, Bulldogs captain, at McDonald's Park.jpg
Ennis training with the Bulldogs in 2012.
Ennis working for Fox Sports in 2017 Mick Ennis Fox Sports.jpg
Ennis working for Fox Sports in 2017

Ennis joined the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs from Brisbane for the 2009 NRL season. [8]

He was selected for Country in the City vs Country match on 8 May 2009. [9]

Ennis made his State of Origin debut for New South Wales in Game III of the 2009 series, replacing bitter rival Robbie Farah who was dropped. Ennis made an impact in his first game as the Blues won a dead rubber match, 28–16 with Ennis landing three goals from three attempts. At club level, Ennis played 25 games for Canterbury in his first season there as they finished second on the table and qualified for the finals. Ennis played in Canterbury's preliminary final defeat against arch rivals Parramatta at ANZ Stadium. [10]

He filled the full-time goal-kicking role at Canterbury-Bankstown in 2010, replacing Hazem El Masri, who retired in 2009. However, he was replaced by specialist Bryson Goodwin.

Ennis played in all three games in 2010 State of Origin series, all resulting in losses. In the third match, Ennis was blamed by some for costing NSW victory when he gave away a penalty by punching Queensland's Nate Myles with six minutes to go (NSW at the time were leading 18–13). Despite calls for his omission from the team, [11] he was selected for all three games the following series, also lost.

In the three-year period from the start of 2008 season, Ennis was penalised in games 58 times, the 2nd most of any player in the NRL behind Anthony Watmough. [12] In 2011, he was penalised 17 times in his 12 appearances. [13] In 2012, he was penalised 20 times in 20 games. [14]

In February, 2011, Ennis signed a new three-year contract with Canterbury. Then-coach Kevin Moore said, "Mick is the kind of player that any head coach would love to have in his side. He leaves nothing to chance, he's a natural leader, is about the fittest bloke in the team and he gives us outstanding direction on and off the field." [15]

Ennis played in 26 games in 2012 as Canterbury won the Minor Premiership. He missed only one game as Canterbury-Bankstown made the 2012 NRL Grand Final against Melbourne. However, he failed to score a try for the year. Canterbury would go on to lose the final 14–4 at ANZ Stadium. [16]

Around halfway through the 2014 NRL season, Ennis signed on with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks for what was likely to be the last two years of his career. [17]

In Canterbury's Preliminary Final win over Penrith Panthers in September 2014, Ennis suffered a foot injury, ruling him out of the 2014 NRL Grand Final, with the captaincy for the Grand Final passed to James Graham and Trent Hodkinson meaning that Ennis had played his last game for Canterbury-Bankstown. [18]

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks

In 2015, he joined the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. Ennis played in Game 3 of the 2015 State of Origin series as Robbie Farah withdrew due to injury. In the 2015 NRL season, Ennis played 25 games for Cronulla as they qualified for the finals. Ennis played in the club's 39–0 elimination final loss against North Queensland.

In 2016, he announced he would retire at the end of the season. [19] He finished the season on a high note, winning the 2016 NRL Grand Final in his last game. [20]

Post playing career

Media

Ennis works for Fox Sports coverage of rugby league.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs</span> Australian rugby league club

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the NRL Telstra Premiership, as well as competitions facilitated by the New South Wales Rugby League, including the Canterbury Cup NSW, the Jersey Flegg Cup, Harvey Norman Women's Premiership, Tarsha Gale Cup, S. G. Ball Cup and the Harold Matthews Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Stagg</span> Australian rugby league footballer

David Stagg is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He made one appearance for the Queensland State of Origin side and played for the Brisbane Broncos, with whom he won the 2006 NRL Premiership, and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. He was known for his high workload and played as a lock and second-row, but could also fill in at centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. George Illawarra Dragons</span> Australian professional rugby league club, based in Wollongong & Kogarah, NSW

The St. George Illawarra Dragons are an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint-venture was formed between the St. George Dragons and the Illawarra Steelers. The club officially formed as the game's first joint-venture club on 23 September 1998 and remains the only inter-city team in the NRL. The team has its headquarters and leagues clubs in both Wollongong and the Sydney suburb of Kogarah, and trains and plays games regularly at WIN Stadium in Wollongong, as well as at Jubilee Oval in Kogarah. From 1999 to 2006 the club was jointly owned by the St. George Dragons 50% and Illawarra Steelers 50%. In 2006 WIN Corporation purchased 50% of the Illawarra Steelers stake in the club before purchasing the rest of the Illawarra Steelers' share in August 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corey Hughes</span> Australian rugby league footballer

Corey Hughes is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. A City New South Wales representative hooker, he played in the National Rugby League (NRL) for Canterbury-Bankstown and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. Corey Hughes is the youngest brother of former Bulldogs players, Glen Hughes and Steven Hughes. He is the son of former Canterbury five-eighth, Garry Hughes.

The 1997 Super League season was a breakaway professional rugby league football competition in Australia and the only one to be run by the News Limited-controlled Super League organisation. Eight teams which had broken away from the existing Australian Rugby League, in addition to the newly created Adelaide Rams and Hunter Mariners, competed over eighteen weekly rounds of the regular season. The top five teams then played a series of knock-out finals which culminated in a September grand final played in Brisbane between the Brisbane Broncos and Cronulla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Pritchard</span> Australian rugby league footballer

Frank Semu Pritchard, also known by the nicknames "Cranky" and "Frank the Tank", is a former professional rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand and Samoa at international level. A second-row, he played in the National Rugby League for Sydney clubs the Penrith Panthers, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the Parramatta Eels during the 2000s and 2010s. Pritchard also played in the Super League for English club Hull FC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Morris (rugby league)</span> Australia international rugby league footballer

Joshua Morris is a former Australian professional rugby league footballer who last played as a centre for the Sydney Roosters in the NRL and Australia at international level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryson Goodwin</span> NZ international rugby league footballer

Bryson Goodwin is a former New Zealand international rugby league footballer who last played as a goal-kicking centre or winger for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aiden Tolman</span> Australian rugby league footballer

Aiden Tolman is a former Australian professional rugby league footballer who last played as a prop for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the NRL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Barba</span> Australian former rugby league footballer

Benjamin Barba is an Australian former professional dual code rugby league & rugby union footballer who last played for St Helens in the Super League. He primarily played as a fullback or five-eighth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indigenous All Stars (rugby league)</span> Rugby league team

The Indigenous Australian rugby league team is a rugby league football team that represents Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders. The team was first formed in 1973 and currently plays in an annual All Stars Match against a National Rugby League NRL All Stars team.

The 2011 NRL season consisted of 26 weekly regular season rounds, which began on 11 March and ended on 4 September, followed by four weeks of the finals series culminating in the grand final on 2 October.

This is a list of rivalries in the National Rugby League.

Dale Finucane, is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a lock or prop for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the NRL. Finucane is a dual premiership winner 2017 and 2020 with the Melbourne Storm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dylan Napa</span> Cook Islands international rugby league footballer

Dylan Napa is a Cook Islands international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Sydney Roosters. Napa has previously played for the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs and had a previous stint with the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League (NRL), where he won the 2018 NRL Premiership. He also played for the Catalans Dragons in the Super League. Through ancestry, he made three appearances for the Cook Islands in 2013. He has also played at representative level for the Prime Minister's XIII and for Queensland in the State of Origin series.

The 2014 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs season was the 80th in the club's history. Coached by Des Hasler and co-captained by Michael Ennis and Frank Pritchard, they competed in the National Rugby League's 2014 Telstra Premiership. Finishing the regular season 7th, the team reached the finals for the third consecutive year. They then went on to reach the 2014 NRL Grand final, in which they were defeated by the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fa'amanu Brown</span> Samoa international rugby league footballer

Fa'amanu Brown is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League (NRL). His positions are five-eighth, hooker, halfback and lock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Kennar</span> Samoan rugby league footballer

Richard Kennar is a Samoan professional rugby league footballer who plays as a winger and centre for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 NRL Grand Final</span>

The 2016 NRL Grand Final was a rugby league match between the Melbourne Storm and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks to determine the premiers of the National Rugby League for the 2016 season. The match was held at Sydney's ANZ Stadium on Sunday 2 October. Cronulla-Sutherland won the match 14–12 in a tight contest before 83,625 spectators, earning the club its first premiership title in their 49-year history. They also became the last of nine Sydney-based teams to win a premiership. Cronulla forward Luke Lewis was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as the best player on ground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Flanagan (rugby league)</span> Australian professional rugby league footballer

Kyle Flanagan is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a halfback for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the National Rugby League (NRL).

References

  1. ↑ "Michael ennis – Bulldogs". Archived from the original on 27 February 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  2. ↑ Player career [ dead link ]
  3. ↑ "Michael Ennis – Career Stats & Summary". Rugby League Project. 16 March 1984. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  4. ↑ Christopher Boyd and Christopher Sutton (28 March 2011). "Talking Points". Fox Sports. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  5. ↑ Matt Marshall (6 July 2010). "NSW's dirty three exposed, but Maroons won't rise to Origin niggle tactics". Courier Mail. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  6. ↑ "After coming close before Michael Ennis has one last shot". The Courier Mail. 30 November 2021.[ dead link ]
  7. ↑ "Full-strength Broncos team for World Club Challenge". Australia: ABC News. 12 February 2007.
  8. ↑ "2009 NRL Player Movements". NRL Live. 4 October 2008. Archived from the original on 5 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
  9. ↑ Balym, Todd (3 May 2009). "Blues halfback duel in two as Mitchell Pearce misses selection". Australia: Fox Sports. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  10. ↑ "Eels thunder into grand final". Australia: ABC News. 25 September 2009.
  11. ↑ "Why Ennis Should Be Barred From the Blues for Life". Blogs.news.com.au. 16 March 1984. Archived from the original on 10 July 2010. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  12. ↑ "Stats Central". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. 11 March 2011.
  13. ↑ Paul Crawley (7 September 2012). "Bulldogs' skipper Michael 'The Menace' Ennis has mended his ways with referees". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  14. ↑ Brad Walter (8 August 2012). "Doggies fans fight muzzle". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  15. ↑ "Ennis re-signs with Bulldogs for three more years". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 March 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  16. ↑ "Melbourne Storm beat Canterbury Bulldogs in 2012 NRL grand final". News.com.au. 30 September 2012.
  17. ↑ Proszenko, Adrian (18 June 2014). "Michael Ennis to finish his career with the Cronulla Sharks". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 18 June 2014.
  18. ↑ "Canterbury Bulldogs captain Michael Ennis ruled out of NRL grand final, James Graham, Trent Hodkinson named as co-captains". The Sydney Morning Herald. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  19. ↑ "Michael Ennis to retire from NRL after 2016 season with Cronulla Sharks – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". Australia: ABC News. 26 July 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  20. ↑ "NRL grand final 2016: Michael Ennis remains a loveable pest until the end". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2 October 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.