A Thread For The Ennis Articles

[system]

Thought I would start a thread to stockpile all the rubbish articles about Ennis, The Farah/Ennis rivalry and Ennis' desire to play for the Blues.

The guy has been rubbish for weeks and now his suck buddies in the media will give him a rails run
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Ennis ready to right Origin wrongs
Brent Read From: The Australian April 13, 2010 12:00AM
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AS last year's third and final State of Origin game so ably demonstrated, big games generally bring out the best in Bulldogs hooker Michael Ennis.
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Which means the Wests Tigers should be on guard on Friday night. If anything is capable of stoking the competitive fires within Ennis, it is a meeting with Tigers hooker and NSW rival Robbie Farah.
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The pair has created one of the NRL's most absorbing rivalries, the latest instalment of which takes place at the Sydney Football Stadium and will once again go some way towards solving the Blues hooking dilemma. Last year, Farah held the job for the opening two games of the series before Ennis forced his way in for NSW's face-saving victory in the final clash at Suncorp Stadium.
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By the end of the season, Farah again had the upper hand as he toured with the Kangaroos and played understudy to Cameron Smith. The Tigers rake retains the momentum heading into Friday night's game. While Farah has thrived over the opening five rounds, bare statistics illustrate how much Ennis has been set back this year with a struggling pack.
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Ennis has only one line break assist and one try assist to his name. Farah has three of each. Ennis has run only 16 times for 86m. Farah has scooted for 416m on 49 runs. If the NSW side was picked tomorrow, there would be one clear choice by selectors.
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Yet Bulldogs coach Kevin Moore, who held a team meeting yesterday morning to address the issues which have undermined his squad, points out there are extenuating circumstances, most notably the injuries which have stripped the Bulldogs of Michael Hodgson and Mickey Paea.Those injuries have affected the club's ability to win the forward battle, and inhibited Ennis's raids. Moore, however, expects the meeting with the Tigers and Farah to extract the best from Ennis.
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"I think that's a fair assessment," Moore said.
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"He's a big-match player. He's proven that in the past.
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"He's the (NSW) incumbent."
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As for Ennis's struggles this season, Moore pointed out he wasn't alone. The Bulldogs have won only once and few, if any, players would admit their form is where it should be.
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"I think it's a thing right across the board," Moore said.
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"Everyone is struggling for that bit of confidence and cohesion. I think it's very important to note that without three of our starting five front-rowers over the last couple of weeks, it's very difficult to get your momentum.
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"That probably inhibits Mick's opportunities. It's more about getting the team things right at the moment and Mick understands that. We're falling down in some key areas.
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"Defensively we haven't been as good as we have been. That puts pressure on you when you have the football. If we can plug up those key areas, get some go-forward it will present more opportunities, not just for Mick but for Noddy and Benny Roberts."
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It won't be easy against the Tigers, particularly with Farah and five-eighth Benji Marshall at the top of their game. The pair has helped guide the Tigers to four wins and a share of top spot with St George Illawarra and Melbourne.
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It's the first of two expected games between Farah and Ennis which could determine who wears the Blues No 9 jersey.
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In three weeks, the pair is likely to face each other again in the traditional City-Country game.
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"We had a team meeting this morning about improving all those key things," Moore said.
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"Defensively we were all over the shop the other day against the Warriors. We weren't working off the same page. In real terms, there's two games we should have won – the Newcastle game and the game on the weekend.
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"We're disappointed in that but we came out of the meeting today really focused. We have to put our heads down and work hard on that improvement."

 

[innsaneink]


 

[Vicious]

This the game where Robbie can really get the jump on Ennis for the NSW spot for game 1\. No doubt the selectors will be watching closely.

 

[prattenpark]

Noone will be talking Ennis up after Friday night.

 

[Tigerdazz]

He is truly a grub of a player…..see him leg lock the head of a Souths defender in their last game ? Should have copped what O'Meatheadonnell copped !! Maybe Bryce Gibbs can give him a warm welcome to the SFS and send him out the same way as Thurston and Stewart !!!!! ( ..and, unfortunately , Moltzen :frowning: )

 

[ron_burgandy]

statistically he has it all over robbie
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he worse at missed tackles, try assists,tries, line breaks,line break assist, forced drop outs,tackels made

yep it yakes a pretty good player to be that much worse then another player and be prefered hooker for nsw

 

[Eddie]

There is no doubt Farah is a better footballer, there is no doubt a heap of stats prove that. However

* Ennis team finished 2nd last season, we finished 9th
* Ennis played in a winning origin team and Farah didn't

We all know Farah is 1000% better however it is important he gets the upper hand in these duels. Lead us to victory on Friday Night, make us 5-1 and them 1-5 and it becomes harder and harder to make a case for Ennis.

 

[RatedRKO]

Hope he gets SMASHED so he won't be considered for next weeks game let alone Origin.

 

[Jazza]

"Everyone is struggling for that bit of confidence and cohesion. I think it's very important to note that without three of our starting five front-rowers over the last couple of weeks, it's very difficult to get your momentum.
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"That probably inhibits Mick's opportunities. It's more about getting the team things right at the moment and Mick understands that. We're falling down in some key areas.

Rubbish, what about Farah not having Galloway, Payten and Gibbs this season? Im sure there's more as well.

Farah DOESN'T need a dominating forward pack to do well, Ennis MUST have a dominating forward pack to do something, and still thats not much.

"He's a big-match player. He's proven that in the past.

Bigger rubbish, where was he last finals series when Kimmorley was injured.

In fact if you look at his winning record in finals, and the forward packs he has had, its not great.

09: 1-1 (Bulldogs, defeated 7th placed Newcastle, lost to Parra)
08: 1-1 (Brisbane, defeated a declining Roosters side, lost to Melbourne in Brisbane)
07: 0-1 (Brisbane, lost to 1st placed Melbourne).
06: ACL Injury
05: 1-1 (St George, defeated 7th place Cronulla, lost to us).

All those wins came against lower top 8 sides though.

 

[westTAHger]

forward pack dominance will have alot to do with how each hooker performs on fri night.
of course we would like to see Robbie get picked for rep teams, but also want him there for wests-tigers, during the rep season.
who ever keeps a lavel head on fri night will be more impressive.

 

[Team_Tiger]

I still reckon Robbie played injured in SOO 2 last year.

As for Game 3, it was a DEAD RUBBER. Qld drop intensity.

Remember the great Windies cricket sides of the 80s? The Aussies used to even beat them in dead rubbers.

 

[MGB]

Yeah I dunno, Ennis is a fine player, might be a bit of a twit at times but he is extremely competitive and a very good hooker. Farah is the more dangerous attacking player of the two, in fact Farah has him covered in most areas of the game but Ennis is far from rubbish.

 

[hybrid_tiger]

Yeah I dunno, Ennis is a fine player, might be a bit of a twit at times but he is extremely competitive and a very good hooker. Farah is the more dangerous attacking player of the two, in fact Farah has him covered in most areas of the game but Ennis is far from rubbish.

What attributes does Ennis have that makes him a good hooker?

Watch the Souffs vs Dogs game from two weeks ago - Ennis did not make a dart from dummy half ONCE until the 65th minute, when the Bunnies forwards started to tire. His side was getting belted and all he could do was pick up the ball and pass it inside to one of his forwards who got smashed.

He is one dimensional, has no variety in his play, his kicking game is average at best (often has a brain explosion and goes for a stupid grubber on the 3rd that usually rolls over the dead ball line), he is quite a poor defender and most importantly, he is not capable of playing well unless his whole side is performing.

He is a myth.

 

[MGB]

most importantly, he is not capable of playing well unless his whole side is performing.

He is a myth.

Most hookers are the same, Farah is the exception there occasionally.
Look at Issac Luke over the last three weeks, looks a world beater now.

 

[hybrid_tiger]

most importantly, he is not capable of playing well unless his whole side is performing.

He is a myth.

Most hookers are the same, Farah is the exception there occasionally.
Look at Issac Luke over the last three weeks, looks a world beater now.

The test of a good player comes in the face of adversity. Ennis has shown repeatedly that he doesn't have the ability to influence a game unless everything is going his way.

Farah has shined behind a struggling forward pack and carried us for the past three or four years. Ennis isn't capable of that as he isn't a good enough or smart enough player.

 

[Mona_Lolesi]

2007 is a clear indication of how Farah effectively carried the team. In fact Farah's downfall is that he is guilty of trying too hard. In origin he tried to be too smart, you are not going to get penalties for markers being slightly adjacent as you do in a regular NRL game.
There is no way Ennis could ever carry the burden of a team's responsibility. However his one dimensional play in origin worked because all he did was pass to the halfback.

 

[triserratops]

Why does this overated wanna-be moron even get a mention on the site!!!

The only 5 letter hooker playing league is FARAH!

 

[MGB]

most importantly, he is not capable of playing well unless his whole side is performing.

He is a myth.

Most hookers are the same, Farah is the exception there occasionally.
Look at Issac Luke over the last three weeks, looks a world beater now.

The test of a good player comes in the face of adversity. Ennis has shown repeatedly that he doesn't have the ability to influence a game unless everything is going his way.

Farah has shined behind a struggling forward pack and carried us for the past three or four years. Ennis isn't capable of that as he isn't a good enough or smart enough player.

Can't disagree with that at all, allthough that to me is exactly what stamps Farah ahead of most hookers in the game nowadays, doesn't happen all the time though I have seen ref interpretation of the play the ball effect him at times last season.

 

[Jazza]

I just got this wierd sensation… An article about Farah, not Ennis:

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'I put my body on the line' - Farah knows he's tough enough for Origin
April 16, 2010

Support ... Wests Tigers hooker Robbie Farah says his club coaches have reassured him that his playing style is suited for representative football despite a lacklustre start to his State of Origin career last year.

The Tigers rake, who takes on another contender for the Blues No.9 jersey tonight, says he won't alter his play to pander to his critics, writes Greg Prichard.

Not tough enough. Those were the three words that made Robbie Farah see red, and forced him to ask himself a few hard questions.

Much was at stake. It was nearing representative time last year, and long-time NSW hooker Danny Buderus had vacated the No.9 jersey to play in England. Farah had been waiting a long time to get his hands on the Blues jumper, but then came the questions about whether he was the right sort of player for State of Origin. Not tough enough.

''I'm not going to lie,'' Farah said. ''When people were saying that I even went up to the [Wests Tigers] coaching staff and said: 'Do I have to change my style of game, because my style might not be suited to rep footy?' ''

What Farah got from a group headed by four-time premiership-winning coach Tim Sheens was reassurance that his approach was fine, and that he did not have to change anything. It was what he needed to hear, if he was going to clear his head and move on.

''I didn't want to change,'' he said. ''I love the way I play. I back myself if I see something. Some weeks it might not come off and some weeks it does, but I'll chance my arm because I've got the confidence from practising it at training. I think, because I'm that creative kind of player in attack, people don't see the work I put into my defence.''

It's easy for people looking on from the outside to say so-and-so isn't tough enough - they're not taking the hits. But what exactly is tough?

''I think anyone who plays first-grade footy is a tough player,'' he said. ''I put my body on the line with the ball, and in defence, and playing 80 minutes at hooker every week is pretty tough, if you ask me. I pride myself on my defence as well as my attack, and I put a lot of work into it. I just think my attacking game sometimes overrides my defence in some people's eyes. Toughness comes in a lot of ways in rugby league, and just because I don't go out there and niggle, and get under the opposition's skin, doesn't mean I'm not tough. **I don't see someone who niggles as being a tough footy player.''**

Farah played in the first two games of the series for NSW last year, but was dropped for the third and replaced by Bulldogs hooker Michael Ennis. It is coming up to representative time again, and people are viewing tonight's game between the Tigers and Bulldogs at the Sydney Football Stadium as an early selection trial for that Blues hooking position.

Asked if he thought about going head to head with Ennis, Farah replied: ''I don't, and that's the 100 per cent honest truth. I've got a lot more things on my plate than to worry about one player from the opposition, whether it be him or any hooker I come up against. My role at the Tigers is to control things and direct the team around the park …

''I never worry about who I'm playing against, because I know that if I play good footy myself, and the other 16 guys with me play good footy, that generally leads to a good performance. Whether I'm playing against him, or Cameron Smith, or whoever, it doesn't matter.''

Asked about the view among fans and the media that he and Ennis do not like each other, making the battle personal, Farah replied: ''You'd be silly not to say - and I'm sure if you asked him he'd say the same thing - that we weren't going to do our best to fight over that jumper. At the end of the day, we're both going for the same jumper, so there is going to be a bit of competitiveness there. But I don't know the bloke well enough to have any harsh feelings towards him.''

Farah went on to play for Australia at the end of last season, as back-up to Smith for the Four Nations campaign in England and France. His brilliant early-season form suggests that, at 26, he is entering the best years of his footballing life. But how did he get this far? What was the evolutionary process that took place, and what drives him as a footballer?

''I'm just competitive, you know,'' he said. ''Ever since I was a little kid. If you ask my brothers, playing backyard cricket or whatever, I always wanted to win, and if I didn't win I wasn't very happy. I'm sure if you ask any of the boys around here, they'll tell you I get a bit angry if we lose. There used to be times where we'd lose a game and I wouldn't want to talk to anyone for a day or two. I'm a bit better now, but I still get really down and disappointed. I don't see that as a bad thing - that's the way I believe it should be.

''Coming through the grades, I was never the best player. I was pretty talented, but never willing to work really hard. It wasn't until I had a knee reconstruction in 2004 that I became mentally tougher. It made me realise I had to train hard, to come back from it, and I think that toughened me up as a player.

''I can think of a handful of players I played with, when I was 14, 15, 16, who were talked about as future superstars, but for some reason they didn't make it. But then you get guys like [Tigers forward] Chris Heighington, who came here from the Central Coast. He'd catch a train to training and work his butt off every day. Eventually he got a crack at first grade, and look at him now. I think hard work and persistence is the key to everything.''

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We all know he is tough enough for Origin, its just that because Ennis tries to niggle opposition, he is perceived as tough for doing that.

 

[Guest]

Bulldog Michae Ennis and Tiger Robbie Farah go head-to-head tonight as battle for NSW hooker position intensifies
By Andrew Webster From: The Daily Telegraph April 16, 2010 12:00AM

THE word out of Tiger Land was Robbie Farah would stop mid-interview, turn and walk away at any mention of Michael Ennis.

In Dog Land, they've been telling us all week that Michael Ennis certainly wouldn't be talking about Robbie Farah.

The silence says so much. So intense is the rivalry - and dislike - between the two, they cannot bring themselves to publicly speak about one another.

And especially not now. Not on the eve of tonight's showdown between Farah's Wests Tigers and Ennis's beleaguered Bulldogs at the SFS.

And not with the weeks starting to fall away before NSW selects its side for State of Origin numero uno, with Ennis desperate to hold on to the sky blue No. 9 jumper he snatched from Farah for game three last year.

To his credit, Farah finally broke the silence yesterday at Concord Stadium when he took questions from the floor - most about his nemesis.

"It's always a great challenge coming up against opposition hookers, especially of his calibre, but the game's not about me and Michael," Farah insisted.

"I've got a lot on my plate to worry about than going out and playing against him … I really don't look at the opposition. And I'm not just saying that because it's him."

Farah and Ennis don't have to say anything, because the numbers effectively say it all. Farah is revelling this season in a livewire Tigers side with a 4-1 record. Playing in a depleted forward pack and in a side that has won just once, Ennis is struggling.

Statistics obtained from Fox Sports Stats shout it to the heavens, and highlight how Farah has been an all-running, all-kicking, all-passing, all-tackling machine.

He's gobbling up an average of 84m per game - Ennis pales in comparison with just 20m. He's broken 11 tackles compared to Ennis's three. He's set up four tries (Ennis just the one), and would tackle a blade of grass if required, averaging 32 per match (Ennis makes 23).

On almost every score, Farah has it all over him.

The numbers are indicative of the fact that, while Tigers five-eighth Benji Marshall is the freak of nature, Farah is running the freak show.

"Mick's playing in a side without five forwards in its top 25 players and that means there's not much go-forward there," is how Bulldogs coach Kevin Moore explained the discrepancy in the numbers.

"Obviously, when that happens, your hooker's form is affected."

They are also figures that suggest Farah is a certainty for the Origin opener at ANZ Stadium on May 26.

"Not at all," Farah said yesterday when asked if Origin was in the back of his mind.

"I've probably worried about it in the past but I think I've come to that point where I can't worry about what I can't control.

"What the selectors want to do, how Mick's playing, all that stuff is out of my hands. All I can do is win footy games for the Tigers."

That said, ahead of tonight's match, the question is too delectable to ignore: if Farah continues his sparkling form, will it be enough for him to unseat Ennis as NSW hooker?

The selectors and coach Craig Bellamy are keeping their cards close to their chest, but Footy Central has been told Farah is far from over the line and Ennis remains firmly in the race to retain his spot.

Selectors are mindful of the complications Farah caused in the first two matches of last year's series - and why Ennis was so effective in victory in the third.

For the Tigers, Farah darts from dummy half, jumps into first receiver, kicks regularly. It was never more so than their victory over the Raiders in Round 4, when Farah swung the game in the second half.

It's a style that has delivered spectacular results for his club thus far, but can cause headaches in an Origin side.

Selectors liked Ennis's direct style and stabilising influence around the ruck in game three, which NSW won.

They were also concerned with Farah's performance in game two, in which he struggled with a rib injury. He missed a tackle on Israel Folau that led to a try and threw a dribbling pass, with NSW camped on their own line, which gave Queensland captain Darren Lockyer a try in the Maroon's comfortable 24-14 victory.

Tigers coach Tim Sheens revealed yesterday that he had pulled Farah aside during the week to tell him to forget about his rivalry with Ennis.

"I've spoken to him about it. Every time they've played for the last couple of years, there's been a rivalry," he said.

"Putting that rivalry in context is making sure he plays for his football team and not for himself."

Pressed on the clash between the hookers, Sheens snapped: "This isn't a Farah game. This is Wests Tigers. I've said enough about Robbie."

Thankfully, the silence about Robbie Farah and Michael Ennis will end tonight. Although it won't settle the argument.