Ben Barba is well on the way to re-establishing himself as one of the NRL's leading fullbacks, believes teammate Michael Ennis.
The veteran hooker sees Shane Flanagan's confidence in Barba paying big dividends after the Cronulla coach handed him the fullback role to start 2016 despite stiff competition from Jack Bird and Valentine Holmes.
"He (Barba) has created some dramas over the opening two rounds for opposition teams with that turn of speed he has got and that ball playing ability," Ennis told AAP on Tuesday.
"His confidence levels have really grown and I think being back in that fullback position you can just see the smile on his face and see him working on his game and it is a good time for Ben."
Former Dally M medallist Barba was one of Cronulla's best in their first-up loss to North Queensland and again in their round two hammering of St George Illawarra.
Ennis believes Barba is feeling comfortable at fullback again, and the hooker is well placed to judge.
The duo played together at Canterbury in their charge to the 2012 grand final, the same year Barba claimed the Dally M Medal.
Barba scored 45 tries in the 2011 and 2012 seasons with Canterbury at fullback while in 2013 he battled an ankle injury, scoring 10 tries in 17 games.
His unsuccessful move to Brisbane in 2014, yielded eight tries in 25 games.
In his first season with Cronulla last year, the 26-year-old only wore the Sharks No.1 jersey three times as he was used primarily as a utility by Flanagan and managed just three tries across 19 games.
He opened his try-scoring account for 2016 against the Dragons on Sunday.
"He has faced some challenges and been to a couple of different clubs in the past few years," said Ennis.
But it is his second year now at Cronulla and he is back in the position that he loves and is familiar with the players around him.
"All that heads towards Ben playing the footy we know he can and his first two games for us have been enormous."
Ennis said Flanagan's belief in Barba was crucial.
"Most important for him is the No.1 on his back and when Flanno said 'that is your position now go and take it', it gave him a real boost of confidence.
"He has really blossomed since then."
Ennis was speaking at the launch of the Sharks' anti-bullying initiative at Woolooware High School.
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