Michael Ennis will continue his upwards trajectory through the NRL coaching ranks next year, signing on with the Sea Eagles for the 2024 season as a specialist halves and hooker coach.
After retiring from professional rugby league at the end of 2016, Ennis has worked with both Canberra and Cronulla in a variety of coaching roles, as well as commentating for Fox League on a weekly basis.
The premiership-winning hooker was linked with a potential move to the Dragons for next year, with former head coach Shane Flanagan now at the helm, but has opted to take his talents to Manly.
Ennis will join Anthony Seibold on the northern beaches and will be mentoring some of the best young talents and experienced players in the competition.
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Michael Ennis signs with Manly Sea Eagles for 2024 season
In a statement released on Thursday, the 39-year-old expressed his gratitude towards the Sea Eagles for allowing him to join their ranks.
“To be working with some of the game’s finest players in Daly Cherry-Evans and Tom Trbojevic, along with the next generation, is exciting for me’’ he said.
“I’m also really looking forward to working with Luke Brooks.... a change of scenery will be good for Luke.
"It will provide him an opportunity to play his best footy, which we saw at different stages of this year. He is a very good player when he is playing with confidence.
“One of the other players I am looking forward to working with is Lachlan Croker. I have just admired him from afar with his work ethic and his toughness. I feel there are areas of his game that I can help him with.
“I’ve been highly impressed with ‘Seibs’ in the early conversations with him and his staff. There is a great coaching staff there and I’m very happy to be joining them and sharing some of my experiences in the game.”
Ennis will bring over 270 games of experience to the table, etching out a storied career spanning 13 years in the top grade, as well as representing NSW on eight occasions.
Seibold believes the addition of the former dummy-half will be vital for Manly's potential success.
“Michael had a fantastic career as a player and is a premiership winner. He was a real leader at a couple of clubs he played at and also represented NSW,’’ he said.
“The thing I love about Michael since his retirement from playing is that he has worked for a couple of clubs in coaching positions.
"Michael will be helping with our attack in 2024 and from a positions point of view, he will be working with our halves and our hookers.
“We feel as though he can help them improve individually but also us collectively from an attacking point of view."