Canterbury-Bankstown hooker Michael Ennis will take on the Bulldogs goal kicking responsibilities in 2010 following in the footsteps of Hazem El Masri and Daryl Halligan.
Halligan was recruited by the Bulldogs for the 1994 season to kick goals on a full-time basis with prop forward Gavin Hill released after being at the Bulldogs in 1992-93 and Terry Lamb by the 1990's was a reluctant goal kicker as well as battling leg injuries that prevented him from doing full scale training with the first grade side.
El Masri made his first grade debut in 1996, but only kicked nine goals in his first 94 first grade matches as Halligan had a mortgage on the goal kicking duties until his retirement at the end of the 2000 season.
Halligan missed just four games from 1996 to 2000 and El Masri took on the kicking reigns in those games, but wasn't even the goal kicker in reserve grade in 1998 with Brent Sherwin enjoying the kicking honours and it was Sherwin's goal kicking boot that won the Bulldogs the 1998 reserve grade grand final, which El Masri was a part of.
El Masri spent 30 minutes off the field during 2009 and Ennis confidently landed a 40m penalty goal as the Bulldogs defeated Souths 14-12 at ANZ Stadium last year. Ennis was the first choice goal kicker for NSW in the final State of Origin match last year ahead of Newcastle's regular goal kicker Kurt Gidley and he landed all three shots at goal that night.
Ennis is undaunted by the pressure of taking over from two of the best ever sharp shooters and is excited by the challenge ahead.
"A lot of people ask me about the pressures that are coming on the back of the Halligan, El Masri era, but to me it's just something where I'll enjoy the challenge and embrace it," Ennis said.
"I'll continue to work hard and see how I go and it's something I'm looking forward to more than anything.
"Hopefully with trials around the corner in a few weeks I can put a few over. I think it's fortunate that I've got that base of kicking regularly at St George and then obviously in Brisbane when I was on the field.
"Hazem was a wonderful goal kicker and certainly just being a spectator in rugby league, I used to enjoy watching him kick his goals from everywhere, as did Halligan.
"It's nice being able to sit back and work with those guys but at the end of the day it's about me being comfortable in the routines that I've got and I'm pretty sure I've got that in place. Hopefully I can have a good year with the boot."
Halligan has been spending a lot of time with El Masri and New Zealand Test goal kicker Bryson Goodwin since they both arrived at Canterbury for the 2009 season.
"The thing with Mick is he actually wants to do it. Mick being Mick, he probably wanted to kick while Hazem was still there as well ... so that's a good attribute to have," Halligan said.
"Bryson has kicked for the Kiwis as well, so certainly while it's a void to fill, there are plenty of good candidates to do it."
Steve Folkes when given a tough choice in 2001 between El Masri and Sherwin opted for El Masri with Sherwin still establishing himself in the halves and was keener for Sherwin to focus on his own game.
Kevin Moore believes that Ennis will thrive being in the thick of it at dummy half and then stepping up to the plate to turn four points into six.
When El Masri took on the goal kicking duties it took him time to fully step into Halligan's shoes and when he did took the art of goal kicking to a new level.
Hoewever, Ennis will have the one advantage that he's already kicked over 100 goals at NRL level and was first choice goal kicker for NSW in the final game last year ahead of an established NRL goal kicker.
Ennis is a renowned competitive player and loves the challenges put in front of him and he will be looking to continue to proud Bulldogs tradition of the fine sharp shooters, which Halligan and El Masri took to new levels and before that Lamb, Ross Conlon and Steve Gearin weren't exactly bad goal kickers and in fact were leading goal kickers during their prime years with the goal kicking boots.
Will Ennis be able to step up to the plate and continue on the Bulldogs legacy of fine goal kickers?
![[FKN-SIK]](/data/avatars/m/13/13251.jpg?1239671989){kind=avatar}
