Michael Ennis is in the form of his life – he has never played better. His Cronulla Sharks are flying atop the National Rugby League table and on a club record winning streak.

That’s why the rugby league world went into shock on Tuesday afternoon when the 32-year-old announced he would join Sharks skipper Paul Gallen in retirement.

It was expected that Ennis would at least play on for another season into 2017 with a contract extension but the former Canterbury captain thought this was the time with the plan now to be chaired off ANZ Stadium with Gallen holding the Telstra Premiership.

“It’s time to be a dad, it’s time to go and spend some time with my family,” Ennis told a media conference.

“I love the game, I think I’ll always love the game. I love my relationships with my teammates and the people that run the football clubs.

“But it’s time to be honest and be open and that was today.

“While I still think I’ve got a really good 10 or 12 weeks ahead of me, I can tip all my energy into that. But that’s it.”

Just like the man, forward and honest, Ennis will now put his head down and do everything in his power to help the Sharks to their maiden title.

According to reports, Ennis had been considering hanging up the boots for as long as six weeks and the decision by New South Wales to play Robbie Farah over Ennis may have played a small part in his exit.

Farah is now in the Intrust Super Premiership Wests Tigers team while Ennis and Cronulla are gunning for the minor premiership.

“I am dirty I’m not there,” Ennis told Fox Sports’ NRL 360 in May.

“I feel like I’m playing well at Cronulla and I would’ve loved to have gone into a game in the form that I feel like I’m playing in at the moment. But it’s not to be.

“To Laurie’s credit, he gave me a call and spoke to me about it — that was a sign of his character.

“For me, I’ll enjoy the week that we’ve got with the bye and we’ll see how we go with the remainder of the games.

“Laurie was openly honest. He basically said to me that he felt that, with Robbie playing in games one and two last year then getting injured, he owed that to him to give him the opportunity. He said there’s nothing that he can tell me to go back to club footy and do. The form’s good and the club’s form’s good and to just keep chipping away. That’s all you can ask of. As I said, it’s a testament to his character.”

Ennis’ character is just a little more complex.

Off the field he is regarded as one of the nice guys of the competition and is loved by the teams he has played in.

On the field he is as equally loved by his teammates but is undoubtedly one of the great modern day sledgers in the NRL.

The point is, Ennis doesn’t care.

He has pushed his body and his mind to squeeze every last bit of talent out of himself and has evolved into an attacking rake that has proven a dangerous operator out of dummy half.

Ennis is yet another personality to leave us with nobody to fill the void.

@woodward_curtis

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