Dragons assistant coach Michael Ennis is the latest man to leave St George Illawarra in what is quickly becoming a serious exodus.
After Shane Flanagan was given his marching orders on Monday, the Dragons also announced that the head of football Ben Haran would be leaving the club.
And now, just 24 hours on, Code Sports has revealed that former premiership-winning hooker Ennis has also left the club.
The 42-year-old worked as the club’s attacking coach, while Dean Young the club’s defensive coach, was given the Dragons head coaching role after much deliberation.
Young will remain as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Ennis only joined the Dragons coaching staff at the start of this year, after leaving Manly at the end of last season.
Speaking exclusively to news.com.au about the decision to join the Red V at the end of last season Ennis said he saw the move as another step closer to achieving his ultimate goal of becoming an NRL head coach.
“Yes, there is a desire to be a head coach. It is something I am really driven by, but for now, I am intent on getting as much as I can out of being an assistant,” he told news.com.au.
“But definitely, it (being a head coach) is something that, since retiring, has remained true. I’ve been blessed in my nine years post-retirement to work with some great coaches.
“As I mentioned with Shane, post-retirement and then down in Canberra learning from Ricky (Stuart), which was incredible, then with Brad Arthur at Parramatta in a year that they made the grand final.
“Then to Seibs (Anthony Seibold) and learning from him the last two years, it’s been so great to work with so many great coaches. Those experiences have allowed me to understand the identity I want to be as a head coach one day, whenever that opportunity presents itself.
“So the next step for me felt like it was St George, as it is a greater responsibility there to go full-time as an assistant there with Shane, who is someone I have an enormous respect for as a coach, and it is just an opportunity that I am really keen to take on.”
News.com.au has reached out to Ennis for comment.
