Having conceded his eye wandered to the scoreboard and his mind to 2014 late in the Sharks' preliminary final rout of the Cowboys on Friday night, Ennis survived a nervy ending to the grand final qualifier after contemplating asking coach Shane Flanagan to be hauled off the field for his own preservation.

The 32-year-old missed the Bulldogs' grand final loss to the Rabbitohs in 2014 due to a fractured foot and tasted defeat in the blue and white in 2012 against the Storm, who can inflict further grand final pain on the game's most polarising figure at ANZ Stadium on Sunday.

"There was 13 minutes to go and just out of the corner of my eye I caught the clock and I thought, 'do I ask Flanno to come off'? Then I saw Gal [Paul Gallen] go and I thought, 'he's pulled the card so I better stay'," Ennis said.

"I love playing here and next week is wonderful for me personally that I get an opportunity in my last game of footy ever in my life to play in a grand final. It's unbelievable to be honest. [But] there are 17 of us that will run out next Sunday and it's not about me individually."

Ennis' last game of rugby league will be discussed at length, but the man who is no stranger to headlines is keen to distance himself from the spotlight given what is at stake for Flanagan's history-chasers.

It is a remarkable revival for the man unwanted at the Bulldogs after their second grand final loss in three years, trading places with then Sharks young gun Michael Lichaa who has struggled to assert himself in the Canterbury No.9 jersey.

"I've said before I think there was a disappointment there they felt I wasn't able to contribute and [they were] possibly going in a different direction – and I knew I just needed an opportunity," Ennis said. "And the way Shane spoke about the style of footy he wanted to play [excited me]. Since I've come here I've probably played the best footy in my career."

The Sharks will send only a batch of their most experienced players – headed up by skipper Gallen and grand final regular James Maloney – to the Dally M Awards on Wednesday night. The rest of the squad will be ordered to rest by Flanagan.

As black, white and blue decorations swamped the Shire over the weekend, Sharks players insisted they wouldn't be caught up in the hype of their first grand final appearance in a unified competition since 1978.

"No one's really going to get carried away," back-rower Wade Graham said. "The further you go if you don't get it done the bigger the disappointment.

"I was there through the tough times and it's great to give the fans something to cheer about. They get one more game to go this year. A lot of hard work has gone into it. We're into a grand final and we'll really enjoy the week."