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The resurgence of Michael Ennis

Mick Ennis is all heart and soul... And grub. (AAP Image/Paul Miller)
Roar Rookie
12th July, 2016
7

Sitting firmly atop the NRL ladder after a historic 13 consecutive wins, the Sharks are rolling through the 2016 competition, and Paul Kent looks like a genius.

Boasting both up-and-coming superstars and sturdy veterans, their squad is as balanced as you’ll find across the 16 clubs.

While their performance can be attributed to a range of Origin stars, a crucial contributor and a basis for the trademark Sharks style is hooker Michael Ennis.

Regardless of the label you want to attach to the man known as ‘The Menace’, his recent performances have been the finest of his career.

Ennis has revitalised his game, adjusting to his growing age by developing into an excellent decision maker – specifically, around the ruck. Time after time he makes the right play, especially effective when his team are coming out of trouble or trying to play the yardage game, a style they are outstanding at executing.

The Sharks, for all their attacking weapons, are most adept at winning the arm-wrestle through the middle and fringes, exhausting the opposing forwards and giving plenty of space for their speedy attacking contingent to go to work. And you’ll find Ennis right in the thick of it.

Hindsight helps, however with consideration of his current form, it is staggering to remember the majority of pundits criticised his move to the Shire. In fact, joining the Sharks has been a perfect fit for both parties.

While the Bulldogs rely heavily on ball movement, this typically comes about between forwards or link players supplying the backline, meaning the hooking role is simplified – either pass or run. In comparison, Cronulla has unlocked Ennis as a focal point of the attack, ushering the go-forward and unleashing him as a triple threat around the ruck. Unsurprisingly, he has flourished in this expanded role.

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Statistics support this notion; 2014, in his final year at the Bulldogs, Ennis served nearly exclusively as a supplier to his outside men, and most importantly a defensive anchor in the middle of the park. Since joining Cronulla, Ennis has roughly maintained the defensive rate, averaging 36 tackles per game for both Sharks seasons (37.4 in 2014), while having an increased offensive workload.

Juxtaposing the two seasons aids processing Ennis’ attacking involvement. A lethal part of his game is his kicking from active-half. 2015 saw Ennis kicking more than twice as much as at his previous club – 130 total kicks compared to 59 in ’14. Additionally, Ennis ran the ball an added 1.1 times (up to 5.5 runs per game) picking up an extra few metres. To cap it off, he was even dangerous close to the line, adding 17 try assists topping his seven from the season prior.

To make these improvements with the ball while clearly leading his team in tackles (170 more than second place) is brilliant – especially considering he turned 31 during that season.

Ennis won the Dally M award as the NRL’s best hooker in 2015, and his 2016 season has been even better.

His kicking numbers are down slightly from last season, a product of the upgrade in the quality of halves playing outside of him. Bringing in James Maloney and Chad Townsend has allowed more space through the middle corridor for Ennis to control the ruck, and the results are showing on the park.

Per Total Footy Stats, Ennis has already surpassed his total running metres for both 2014 and 2015. Astonishing, considering he played 27 and 23 games respectively, and had achieved this mark through 15 games. His defence, again, has remained consistently great and most importantly his team is currently the benchmark of the competition.

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Ennis has transformed into the master of misdirection. Skillfully confusing the defence time and time again, positioning himself slightly towards either side of the play the ball and using half-steps, constant jukes and fakes to throw marker defenders into oblivion, and create space for his forward men. As seen in the above video, Ennis has become an expert at this move and it creates chances for his team.

That was last year – they are better by every measure in 2016.

Where Ennis separates himself from the field of standard rakes is his direct approach when moving from active-half. He is never caught moving sideways with the ball in hand or holding the pill for too long, and keeps his team moving forward by assuring that the direction heads towards.

Where he shines brightest is in the mental battle, diverting the opposition by catching them up in his mind games and leaving them thinking he cares more about niggling and fighting than he does about the play that’s unfolding. A cerebral competitor, Ennis never looses sight of the ultimate goal and while it may appear he lets himself loose, at the height of his powers he is able to keep a level-head while annoying pretty much anyone not wearing his jersey.

Love him or hate him (by now you should just love him), Michael Ennis has demonstrated one of the finest transitions into the latter stages of a footballing career, adjusting his game to fit the needs of his team. The Sharks have done a phenomenal job recruiting, Ennis just one of many great fits within this unit.

As the team has come together, they have developed a defining style, one which plays to the strengths of each of their key players, Ennis being one. By doing so, Cronulla have maximised their own potential and unleashed Ennis’ individual brilliance and undying will to win, permeating across the Sharks’ great run.

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