He's played for five clubs and will turn 32 in March, but Michael Ennis is keen to ensure this is not his farewell NRL season.
Ennis' two-year contract with Cronulla is up at the end of this season, and the club will have the final say on whether they activate an option for a possible third year.
"I hope that they do take up that option," Ennis told AAP.
"I love playing at Cronulla under Shane with the boys here, so I hope that what I have contributed to the club in the past 12 months means I do get that opportunity to play out that third year."
Complicating matters further for Ennis are his aspirations of working in the media after his playing days.
The 247-game veteran already has a contract with Fox Sports he wants to build upon, therefore ruling out the option of moving to the English Super League as many others his age do.
Instead, it means he is likely to spend the first half of the season playing for the continuation of his playing career.
"It's always about consistency for me, it has been for quite some time now," he said.
"I've got this year and I know that. Obviously my Fox Sport stuff is a big part of what I want to do off the field as well, so we'll see what the club decides to."
Ennis got that quest to impress off to a perfect start in Saturday night's 30-30 draw with the Wests Tigers at Campbelltown.
He set up two tries, including one with a little deft kick from dummy-half for Luke Lewis under the posts.
He was then unlucky not to set up another in similar fashion when a cross-field grubber hit the upright before captain Paul Gallen overran it.
It was a move that had coach Shane Flanagan salivating about his potential to work alongside two noted in-play kickers in recruits James Maloney and Chad Townsend, however it's what Ennis offers off the ball and away from the field that is most appreciated at the Sharks.
"The thing I love about Mick is he's such a competitor," Flanagan said.
"He's got that touch of class and skill-wise, but he just competes so hard on everything."
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