- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
I have been a big fan of Michael Ennis for some time now. He’s old school, plays the game hard and when it’s required, he puts his body on the line and urges everyone around him to find something extra.
But the Bulldogs skipper lost me on Monday night.
Opposing a fierce and deeply committed Gold Coast Titans side, Ennis crossed way too many boundaries in his dealings with the referees Luke Phillips and Adam Devcich.
He had constant dialogue with the match officials and showed scant respect to them, if any at all.
I was at home watching this highly physical game and it wasn’t a good look from skipper Ennis. His addresses to the refs weren’t bordering on disgraceful. They were much worse than that.
This highly experienced player, revered by many, showed scant respect for the men in charge. Time and time again he lambasted their decisions – right or wrong.
Over the years we’ve seen plenty of NRL captains having dialogue with referees, but not like this.
At one stage, Ennis stepped right over the boundary and snarled at Phillips: “C’mon mate. It’s a tough game, we are trying to compete here and you…” Etc etc etc.
Phillips should have blown his whistle (yet) again and banished Ennis to the sin bin for dissent.
He didn’t and, surprise surprise, the tirades continued.
Ennis, as the captain, thought he had the right to hurl his grievances at the men in charge but the Dogs (and the Titans, for that matter) were infringing repeatedly, and the referees were merely doing their job in what was a good, old-fashioned, bash-up.
The penalty count was huge but the lack of respect shown by Ennis was far greater than that.
In my opinion Phillips and Devcich were remiss in letting such sprays go without punitive action – the sin bin should have been used for dissent, but captain Ennis got away with his antics repeatedly.
Sure, it was a tight game with plenty riding on the outcome but this was a very bad look. NRL captains should be lauded for their sensible eloquence, not their out-and-out arrogance.
Memo Michael: check out the tape of that game and ask yourself if you were fulfilling your role as a first grade captain.
Part of your role is to be a model for young players, some of whom will be captains of tomorrow.
I don’t care if you felt your team was getting the rough end of the pineapple. That happens sometimes. The fact is : you stuffed up, big time.
You showed a complete lack of respect for the men charged with the responsibility of running your game.
There are many ways and means of having dialogue with match officials. Yours was horrific.
Is this how the Queensland and Australian captain, Cameron Smith performs under pressure? Not likely.
Team captaincy in the NRL, and in all sports, professional and amateur, carries a high level of honour and responsibility.
As I see it, Michael Ennis and his rampant arrogance did a heck of a lot of harm to the much-vaunted ‘C’ next to his name in the Big League program.
In this instance, I think it stood for churlish, and maybe even childish.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.