Michael Ennis, a prominent assistant coach in the NRL, has officially departed from his role at St George Illawarra, just a day after the club announced the exit of head coach Shane Flanagan. The Dragons confirmed through a statement that Ennis’s departure was part of a broader “restructuring of the program.” Following Ennis’s exit, Tom Eisenhuth has been appointed as his successor, while Willie Talau will expand his responsibilities within the coaching staff.
Ennis, who was appointed in September after serving as an assistant to Anthony Seibold at Manly, lasted less than half a season with the Dragons. His appointment followed an earlier decision to overlook him for the interim coaching position, which instead went to Dean Young. This reshuffle coincided with the exits of several key figures, including football department boss Ben Haran.
In a press conference held unexpectedly by Chairman Andrew Lancaster and CEO Tim Watsford, they announced the immediate departures of Flanagan and Haran, without a clear interim coaching structure in place. This led to some confusion among players, who reportedly sought clarity from media about the team’s coaching situation for the upcoming week. It wasn’t until later that the club confirmed Young would take charge for the rest of the 2026 season.
Ennis, a former player with 274 NRL games under his belt and eight Origin appearances for New South Wales, is well-known for his post-retirement analysis work with Fox League. His coaching journey had seen him at Canberra and Parramatta before teaming up with Flanagan again at the Dragons, where he focused on the team’s attack, while Young managed the defensive aspects. Unfortunately, the Dragons’ attacking performance has faced criticism, contributing to a dismal start to the 2026 season with seven consecutive losses.
Despite his recent departure, Ennis was previously viewed as a strong candidate to take over the head coach position in 2027, a trajectory that now appears unlikely. There are, however, ongoing speculations regarding his potential to coach Manly following Seibold’s sacking after just three games of the season.
As the Dragons prepare to face the Roosters on Anzac Day, Young will need to quickly recruit new assistant coaches to support his efforts in steering the team through a challenging period as they seek to turn their fortunes around.