SAN JUAN HURRICANES [GM LUCAS]

[GM Dazz]

I think that's a fantastic attitude and I'm sure it'll be a great boost to the other lads to see it. I'll let you get back to practice.
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Strategy changes: Move Cotter to SAM and Woodard to MLB in 4-3 formation

Lock in

[GM Dazz]

SEASON 16 - WEEK 4

1. Talk about the results of your game this week.

Fantastic result and even better performance from us this week. I thought it was great to see Hudgins respond to his own self criticism by immediately scoring 3 TDs in his next game. He showed great maturity and leadership in taking accountability but the even greater example to the others was the way he made sure he did something about it. Crawford was brilliant yet again and well supported by Tank, Smoke was efficient with 3 TDs on 5 receptions and our defence was outstanding at turning the ball over and scoring points of their own. A great all around performance really and capped off with a 2/2 and 1 TD performance from King Carmazzi, which I always like to see. I do want to give special praise to our Gs this week though. Neither of our starters were able to play so Hardwick and the rookie Harris had to step in and try to fill some very big shoes. Harris had a couple of rookie penalties but that's to be expected in his first start and other than those I thought he had a great game. They both did a fantastic job and it gives me a lot of confidence in our ability to handle injuries to see it.

2. After 4 weeks, is the team performing as expected, and where do you feel you need to improve most?

Mostly, yes. Offensively we've been very good, despite reports last week of us looking lackluster. I guess that's down to the high standards we set last season. Defensively we've had lads step up and make big plays when it matters so I'm relatively happy with how we've been playing. There are still players who I think can and should be performing at a much higher level than they are right now though. Our defensive line is probably the area most in need of improvement. We'll have to look at whether that's down to coaching or the players themselves but something isn't clicking yet and it's holding us back a little at this stage.

3. We are getting into trade season, are you one who would like to get a deal done before the flurry at the deadline, or do you prefer to wait?   ...Also do you see yourself as a buyer or seller this season?

We'll definitely be a buyer this season and I probably will get involved if the right players become available. If you're not looking at how you can improve your team during the season you're not doing your job as a GM. The difficulty will be in pretty much every team looking for players in the same positions and there not being enough of the right level.

4. Rumor has it the HIFL and PFL have quietly discussed a trade window, what is your opinion on that possibility?

I've been outspoken about teams who trade players away to the PFL against their wishes and I stand by that stance. These players joined the HIFL draft and signed contracts to play in the HIFL and we as GMs should respect that. I for one won't be dealing with the PFL unless they make me an offer I can't refuse and the player in question asks to go. I really don't understand why the league would be considering this after the ridiculous behaviour of the PFL last season when they signed a player under contract with a HIFL team during the season.

5. How much stock do you put into International Football, is the IFAF something you pay much attention to?

Quite a bit, not as much as I should. It's a great pathway for guys who aren't brought up with the sport from a young age to get into it and build a career for themselves so I'm all for it. We have an international partnership and I think it's important to invest in the facilities outside of the US to help build the sport. I don't like the posting system and I think the fees price a lot of players out of a dream move to the HIFL so that's something that needs to be resolved before I'll consider spending too much of the team's resources.

6. Talk about this week (your upcoming game or bye week plans)

I think this one will be a great game for the neutrals and anyone who enjoys offensive football. Michigan are a high scoring team with a very good 2nd year QB and great group of WRs. We on the other hand are the highest scoring team in the league through 4 games. It should be an exciting one and in the end I think it'll come down to who is able to look after the ball better. Fortunately for us our defence is great at forcing turnovers and we don't tend to cough it up very often. We'll need to be focused through all 4 quarters though as Michigan can score a lot of points quickly if you aren't. Having said all of that it'll probably be a hard fought defensive battle now.
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Coach, we'll start with the good. 52 points and 2 defensive touchdowns! That's about as comprehensive as it gets. That said, we could do a little better in passing yards allowed and points allowed. The area of the team that stands out for the wrong reasons is that defensive line and, in particular, Lilley. Considering what we're paying him and the star rating he's been given I expect an awful lot more production. He's far too good to be playing the way he is so I have to ask if there's something you're seeing that's holding him back. How is he doing at practice? Is he working hard to get back to his previous season's form at least?

[Talon]

Lilley works his butt off in practice, I think he got dinged a little in the first two games and it lowered his snap count, so I'm hoping to see him start to stand out like we've seen in the past, he's been a consistent force over the last several years so I don't know what's happened this year.

[GM Dazz]

That's useful to know, thank you. I was about to give him the "stop being shit or you can be shit at home on your Lay-z-boy" speech but if he's already working his arse off that's not going to help. We can't accept the current lack of production indefinitely though. I have the beginnings of an idea for that but it needs some more thought so I may get back to you shortly. In the meantime I might give Lilley the soft version of that speech.

Other than that, I'm delighted with the number of turnovers, fumbles and defensive touchdowns from the rest of the lads so far this season. It's fantastic to watch and is exactly how I want to see us playing so great work and keep it up. 
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Harley, could you ask Jeffery Lilley to come up and see me please?
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Jeffery, thanks for coming to see me. I'm sure you know why I've asked to speak to you and I'm sure you're already telling yourself the things I'm going to say. For a player of your caliber the past 4 weeks have been far below what's expected and, if I'm being frank with you, not good enough. Coach tells me you're working hard in practice so it's clearly not through a lack of effort so I'm not going to lecture you about working harder or anything like that. What I am going to do is give you a little longer to find some form and start playing like the player we all know you are. However, there is going to come a point when you're going to have to start lighting up the box score or I'm going to be forced to give Smith or Walker their chance to do it. That point isn't far off either because we need to set our expectations at a high level and I'm expecting accountability from the leaders and best players on this roster. Hudgins has set the example there and we can't ask that of him and then give other players a pass because of past performances. I'm not expecting you to just do that alone though. The coaches and I are here to help you so if you have any thoughts on how we can do that, tweaks to how you're being used or perhaps you need a bit of rest to heal up, then please let me know. 

[Talon]

 

I appreciate it.  I felt like I played a better game this last week getting that forced fumble and getting some pressure.  I'll try to turn it up another level this week.

[GM Dazz]

It was certainly step forward. I have faith that you'll take another big one this week. I've been having some thoughts on how to help you out. Nothing firm yet but how comfortable are you at playing snaps at OLB?

[Talon]

 

  I'm willing, but I have never done it before.

[GM Dazz]

I appreciate that you're willing but best not throw you into a role you're not used to when I'm asking you to build on your last performance. Cheers Jeffery. I'll let you get back to practice.
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Strategy changes: none

Lock in

[GM Dazz]

SEASON 16 - WEEK 5

1. Talk about the results of your game this week.

That went about as well as it could in the end. I know I promised a high scoring game but I'm never going to complain when my team restricts an opponent to just 7 points. Michigan are a fantastic offensive team, which we saw from how well they moved the ball through the air in this game, but once again our lads were able to make big plays when we needed them to. Penalties also played a big part in it and the fantastic support we get from the fans obviously was a factor in that. I also think it comes from how aggressive we are and how quickly we built an early lead which forced them into chasing the game from the first quarter. There are still a few things I think we need to work on but overall I was delighted with what I saw.

2. Talk about any news that involves your team.

This has annoyed me this week. Whichever of you hacks pestered Crawford with nonsense about his TD numbers is going to be very lucky if I allow you access to my players again this season. After a fantastic win where he again contributed massively to our success you've gone out of your way to try and upset a player to cause some controversy and quite frankly I think that's among the lowest type of gutter journalism. Fortunately I work with a group of model professionals and Crawford is one of the best. He plays a part in every offensive touchdown we score whether that's through putting us into scoring range, drawing defenders to create space or running the ball in himself. He's having another brilliant season and I'm sure he'll be one of the first to have his number retired here once he finally hangs up his boots.

3. Talk about any other news if you would like (optional).

I try not to talk too much about other GMs but the news around St Paul and Atlanta is too big to ignore. The situation with Kitchen was a difficult one and needed handling very carefully to ensure it didn't blow up into something more than a guy with an ego mouthing off when things don't go his way. From seeing the dramatic news of Bennett being traded and listening to his explanations in his press conference in Atlanta... well it's a great example of how quickly things can go wrong in this league. We all make mistakes, I certainly have and I'm sure a few of you would be only too happy to remind me of them, and you have to take responsibility when you do. I also understand the difficulties you can get yourself into if you try to always be every player's friend. Sometimes you have to upset someone for the good of the team and you need to set clear standards and a clear example when it comes to behaviours so people will know where they stand if they don't meet expectations. I get Bennett's frustration at the situation but sometimes you just have to take your punishment. How he feels now is the same plenty of players will have felt when traded to the PFL against their will. You can wallow in self pity or you can decide to prove the people who did it to you wrong. Only Bennett can decide which way he goes.

4. Talk about this week

Another tough game this week against a team that will be well rested and well prepared after their bye week. I like to think we match up well with our strong running game, solid o-line and aggressive secondary but those things only have an impact when matched with hard work and the right mentality. We need to go into this one knowing that we need to give everything for all 4 quarters to get the result we want and with their fresher legs it's going to come down to heart. i know my lads have plenty of that so I'm confident.

5. Anything else you'd like to discuss?

I was tempted to talk about the return of GM John but he's not been relevant since he left DC... maybe even earlier than that... and that isn't going to change in St Paul. What I would prefer to talk about is concussion and the way the league handles it. Woodard has a suspect concussion from our last game and he's listed as questionable. For me, there's nothing questionable about his status. He won't play this week or the next unless I get the all clear from the medical team. He might not like that approach, and I wouldn't want him to, but it's in his best interest long term and I feel that's part of my job to worry about that sort of thing for my players. You look around the league though and you see plenty of players with multiple concussions being thrown back in to simply suffer another one before they've fully recovered from the last. I think it's time the league office stepped in, or the HIFLPA, to ensure the long term health of these players is properly looked after.

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Coach, that story about Crawford. I thought he reacted well to it but I also read some frustration over how he's being used from what he said. Has he spoken to you about it at all? How is his demeanor in practice? I don't want this to blow up into something so I'll have a word with him if you think it's needed.

[Talon]

 

I took it more as a guy who wants to finish his runs with touchdowns and not get tackled short of the line to make way for Tank on the goal line.  He's a competitor and wants to score, but he's not been moping or complaining.  He's a great teammate and morale is high.

[GM Dazz]

That's good to hear. I'll not pry into that then and we'll leave things as they are. As for my other main point in the press conference, I want Woodard to sit out this week even if he's given the green light. I don't want him ending up like Daley and regularly missing games due to concussion. Let's get it properly sorted before we put him back in. If he's off the injury report next week we can start him again then. Kyrgios did a great job stepping in for him so I think we can afford to let him rest.

The player that is less easy to cover is Brock. His injury has highlighted my failure in ensuring we have suitable cover at safety so I'm kicking myself over that but how comfortable are you in using Freed or is there a corner we're better off using to cover SS?

[Talon]

 

The only corner with any chance of playing well at SS is Finnigan and I know we don't want to make that move, so I'd go with Freed.  He's similar to Brock, just much less developed.

[GM Dazz]

We'll give the rookie his chance to show what he can do then. We'll need the defensive line to step up though. It's not just Lilley under-performing in our pass rush so I'm starting to think there's something wrong with how we're set up. I'm not sure what needs to change but I'm happy for you to tweak whatever you think is needed to spark the line into life. I think that's all for this week. Thanks Coach.

Strategy changes:
Woodard sits out this week and Kyrgios to play MLB in 4-3 formation.

lock in

[GM Dazz]

We had another very good week this week and I'm very happy with the way the lads performed overall. Milwaukee were very competitive in the first half and we had to work hard for this victory but the adjustments the coaches made at half time seemed to make a real difference and we looked much more comfortable after that. Defensively, we didn't get the turnovers we're used to so far this season but we were able to pressure the QB and we stifled their run game. If you manage to do those things then you're already a long way towards winning a game. Crawford was excellent once again but clearly the big story was the perfect display from Hudgins. I don't know how he didn't get offensive player of the week. He was absolutely brilliant out there and showed that he can make deep plays as well as spreading the ball around the field. He got a bit of criticism early in the season but he's really stepped it up a level now and I'm not surprised to hear MVP whispers at this stage. Still a long way to go in the season but he deserves the attention he's currently getting.

I hope Salt Lake live to regret their decision to part with Michael Worley this season. Not that I have any particularly negative feelings towards that franchise, I just find it very disappointing to see a team abandon a very talented young QB the way that they have. He's been great in his early seasons and very much reminds me of Hudgins. I understand that he's having a bit of a rough season this year but he has too much talent for that to last and you have to look at the team built around him. Too often in this league young QBs are discarded after a few poor games and lads who could have developed into greats get dumped into support roles or into leagues like the PFL. I wish Worley luck in Lincoln and I'm sure he'll find his feet again very quickly.

I was very interested to see Marshall playing QB for Seattle and the performance he put in for them. More so because we play them this week. I never really understood why he was converted from QB in the first place so him playing well back at that position isn't exactly a surprise. He's a great athlete and looked like a top tier QB before his dip in form last season, which i think was in most part down to poor team building around him and misuse. He's a very mobile player we're going to have to be careful of if he runs but also capable of passing the ball all over the field. We did a good job of containing him last year so I'm confident we can do that again. He's also capable of making mistakes if pressured so we'll need to make him uncomfortable early... if he even starts this week. It's not exactly clear who the starter is in Seattle at the moment, which is never a good position for a team to be in but also makes it difficult to plan for. I'm confident that if we play our own game we'll do well regardless of who they start but it does make things interesting.
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Coach, another very good performance and great result. Congratulations. The only problem I have coming out of that one is how well Kyrgios played covering for Woodard. I don't think Woodard deserves to lose his place due to being sat for a concussion but Kyrgios doesn't deserve to lose his place after showing what he can do when given the opportunity. It's a good problem to have but one that needs careful consideration anyway.

[Talon]

 

I'd like to give him another start and see how it goes.  Woodard is a good player, but he hasn't flashed for us like Kyr has, I want to see if he can keep up the hot steak.

[GM Dazz]

You make a good point and it sends out a good message that if you take the chances you're given you get rewarded for it. I'm sure Woodard will be working hard in practice to win his spot back. I don't want to tinker too much with a team that is doing well so I'll leave it at that for now. Thanks Coach.
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Harley, could I see Hudgins for a moment please?
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I won't keep you long but I wanted to congratulate you on your performance this week. Ever since you spoke to the media about taking responsibility for this team's offensive performances you have really stepped up to another level. Keep up the great work.

[Talon]

I'm loving it boss, the chemistry is great, we're playing well together, and I see us making that push this season to a championship if we can stay on task and on schedule.

[Talon]

 

We're getting set for final walk throughs, let me know if we're making any adjustments.

[GM Dazz]

Sorry Coach, I've been working on a couple of things but they'll need to wait until next week at the earliest. No changes from me for this week, other than suiting Woodard up again but as backup to Kyrgios.

Strategy changes: Woodard suits up as MLB2 in 4-3 formation.

Lock in

[GM Dazz]

SEASON 16 - WEEK 7

It was another good win for us and another good performance from the lads. We were made to work a bit harder offensively than we have been in some recent games but Crawford once again gave us a great platform from which to build. I'm running out of ways to describe how good he is for us but to run for over 170 yards he deserves singling out. Defensively we were able to keep Marshall quiet after his great breakout game in the previous week and that was a big part of the victory for us. I'm a fan of his and it's good to see him back at QB. If you let him play his game he can cause you a lot of problems so huge credit to our lads for containing him. I hope Seattle don't have a knee-jerk reaction and dump him back into the WR group after that performance though.

I really don't know what GM Rebel has been doing lately. Wasn't he GM of the season last year for discovering Tuilagi? He thanks him for helping steal my award by sending him packing to Vancouver by week 8 this season! It's such a strange decision, particularly after handing him a big new contract in the off-season. That's the one that has me scratching my head really. The PFL thing was just careless after that. I've seen a few people jumping up and down about how dangerous it was and comments about poking the bear and the like but it's not like the PFL have been good neighbours up to now. The whole idea that there was some sort of truce was nonsense anyway so this "war" is going to feel very much like business as usual. I'd be surprised if any of my players suddenly jumped ship for the big pay day considering they haven't already and we're fighting for a real title here. You can't build a league around mercenaries and the best players want to play for the best teams and fight to create a lasting legacy. They can only do that in the HIFL. Seems like it's probably the right time for a cap increase in the off-season though.

We welcome Cleveland this week and they always present a unique challenge. In Fields they have someone who can blow you apart on his own and defensively they've generally been very difficult to score on. Well, not last year when I think we scored something like 40 or 50 against them but I'm sure they'll be eager for revenge. We can't take them lightly nor can we allow complacency to creep in after this run we've been on. We have our rivals breathing down our necks still so we need to give it our all against Cleveland to ensure we get that win leading into our bye week.
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Another great performance Coach. I thought Lilley looked better which is encouraging. Still not up to his own high standards but better anyway. Ali is the one concerning me more lately. Considering the talent we have on this d-line it's really quite frustrating to see them have such little impact on games. Is there an issue with the way we're setting up which means they're not able to get the penetration or are we mainly using them to plug gaps or create holes for the LBs to come crashing through? If it's the latter I can probably find cheaper players who can do that job and reinvest the salary in other positions. We're getting pressure from other areas but I expect more from the line.

[Talon]

 

Ali's performance has lacked all season, I think we could do more with less at the position next year.

[GM Dazz]

Why wait until next season? I know you questioned the strength of both Kessler and Vance but are they so far off that they couldn't give us more than we're currently getting?

[Talon]

I'd just hate to rock the boat when we have the #2 run defense and #7 scoring defense. If we bench him and those guys can't pull the wagon, we risk pissing away a 6-1 start.

[Talon]

Mista D!   Jason Woodard has been contacted by a PFL club, they have offered him a contract!

[GM Dazz]

Sorry Coach, I'm going to have to deal with this. I get your point about not rocking the boat so I'll give it some thought. I'm a firm believer in fixing the roof while the sun is shining though.

Harley,  I guess you'd better ask Woodard to come see me.
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I hear the PFL have offered you a contract. You're playing for a team here that is one of best in the league and on track to fight for a title. I assume they're offering you a lot of money to turn your back on that and your teammates.

[Talon]

 

$17MM and a starting job.. something I don't have right now here, yeah I'm considering it.

[GM Dazz]

Which team?

[Talon]

Bay Area, they had the best offer of the three I got from them, Colorado, and Raleigh.

[GM Dazz]

Thanks for letting me know. If I were one of the other GMs I'd probably be begging and offering you the world at this point. Instead I'll offer my hand and wish you luck. I hope you get everything you deserve. Don't go back to practice. Go home and speak to your family... definitely speak to your agent... and I expect to hear what you do by the end of the day. Either way you won't be dressed this week. I don't want a player on the field who isn't 100% focused on giving his all for the team because these kinds of distractions impact performances across the team. That'll be all, thank you.
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Harley, could you get James T Crain for me please?
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Mr Crain, it looks like one of your clients is going to breach his contract and jump to the PFL. I'm sure you're probably more angry about it than I am. If he goes I'll need to replace him. Do you represent any players at Bay Area, Colorado or Raleigh at DT, DE or LB who would like to fight for an Impact Bowl here in Sydney?

[Talon]

 

I have:

DE Michael Appel in Raleigh.
DE Robert Davis in Raleigh.
DT Joshua Birch in Raleigh.

[GM Dazz]

Thank you for passing that on. I'm going to have to do a little research here as I don't subscribe to the PFL but from the top of my head I do remember Appel and Birch from college a couple of seasons back. UDFAs in the HIFL last season weren't they? I seem to remember Birch looking like he had promise coming out of college but only limited playing time last year. I'm not sure any of them are quite what I'm looking for though. I need to fill a roster spot but if I'm going to take someone from the PFL it needs to be someone that will make headlines.

While I have you though, can we talk about extending Tank Mixon's deal? Would he sign for another 3 years at $6m?

[Talon]

That's a deal we can shake on.

[GM Dazz]

Great stuff. I'm delighted to have him continuing with us beyond this season. Thanks for your time.
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Harley, could I speak to Hudgins and Brock please?
---‐---

Lads, you're captains from each side of the team so I wanted to ask about the mood in the locker room about this PFL nonsense and Woodard deciding to chase an easy payday. When the PFL come calling again, and I'm certain they will, are there guys excited to get that call or do we have a stable group hungry for success here in Sydney? Would that change, in your view, if I replaced Woodard with someone from the PFL?

[Talon]

 

We've got some loyal guys, we've got some guys that only care about the money, and we have a good combination of guys who want to win, so it just depends on who they target and how much they offer, honestly.

[GM Dazz]

Not what I was hoping to hear ɓut thanks for the insight. This is all a distraction we don't need so I'm relying on you guys to help focus minds again on the next game. Its a huge one against Cleveland. One more big effort from the lads and then we can all enjoy a week off. Cheers.
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Harley, could you pass on a new temporary rule to the team please. No cell phones to be used in the facilities for the rest of this week. We need to be 100% focused on Cleveland now. Then could you get Mike Maker for me please?
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Mr Maker, this PFL nonsense has cost me a LB but that brought to mind a news story I saw this week about Eddie Pope doing elite things in yet another loss in Raleigh. It got me wondering whether he's fed up of losing every week and whether he'd prefer to fight for a playoff spot and maybe even an Impact Bowl instead.

[Talon]

 

He'd leave for $18MM per season.

[GM Dazz]

I'm happy to do $18m a year for 4 years if I can back load the deal to get him under cap this year. I can do $6m this year and then $22m a year over the remaining 3 years and guarantee the lot so he makes his $18m per season and $72m guaranteed. I'd love to make it less complicated but we're currently fighting with one hand tied behind our backs at the moment.

[Talon]

 

Send it in, lets get Pope back to the HIFL!

[GM Dazz]

Excellent, a pleasure as always. I'm sure I'll hear from the PFL again but if the output is similar to swapping Woodard for Pope then that works for me. Cheers.
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Harley, I'm going to take a moment to decompress and refocus on this game week before setting up any more meetings. Do you still have the number for the visual trackers we used in the bye week last year? I'm tempted to put the whole roster on a bus into the outback as soon as the game ends and have them working with local trackers all bye week away from phone signals or Internet. It'll be great for team bonding.

[Talon]

 

I do, a week long excursion like that would cost about $3MM when it's all said and done. Just let me know.

[GM Dazz]

That would be nice if we had the money. I have a few thoughts for how I want to handle next week but they can wait. As long as you don't defect to the PFL in the meantime we should be fine. Thanks Harley.
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Strategy changes:
Pope to MLB 1 in 4-3 formation
Kyrgios to MLB 2

Lock in

[GM Dazz]

SEASON 16 - WEEK 8

1. Discuss your game and the results this week.  What stood out? 

What an entertaining and very even game between two great teams! I have no idea why Cleveland's season is as disappointing as it is so far considering the quality of players and coaches they have there. They played us hard all game and it started to get a bit worrying towards the end but the lads did enough to hold onto a hard fought win. Credit to all of the lads for keeping their minds in the game with all of the distractions around them over the past week. What stood out? A receiving TD for Crawford for one. That's a bit of a collector's item. I'm delighted for him. He wanted to get more involved on the scoreboard so it's great to see him finding ways to do it. Mixon celebrating a new contract with a TD was up there as well. And of course, Pope making a mark on his debut with 7 tackles and a FF.

2. What is your take on the PFL/HIFL war?

I'm not sure I'd go as far as to call it a war. There are a few players in the PFL I'd still be interested in signing so if there's no agreement to prevent that and the PFL are still going to try and target HIFL players I'll keep making moves to improve my team. That's my job and that's the job of the PFL GMs as well. There's no animosity from my side and I'd suggest there's a lot of false outrage from Raleigh considering they made offers for my players as well.

3. Where you pro-Gates treaty or anti-Gates treaty, and why?

I generally supported Gates as GM rep but I probably come down on the side of anti treaty. Without real action to prevent the PFL poaching players they'll just keep doing it anyway, treaty or not. They've shown that every year they've existed. No point sending them extra money to help fund that with our own cash. What the rep should be doing is speaking to the HIFLPA to get non-compete clauses back in contracts and to encourage them to remind their members of their contractual obligations.

4. What was your opinion on the choices of GMs selected for the summit?

As soon as I saw the list I knew it was doomed to failure. Half of those guys hate the other half and a couple of them hate everyone so there was no hope of agreement. It also lacked experience. I know others have already said it but I'm pretty disappointed that vets like Pancho, Powers and Metro weren't asked to go.

5. What do you think of GM Pancho being voted in as interim GM Rep?

I'm not sure yet. I don't actually know where he stands on the PFL issue. Long term I think he'd be a good choice as he's experienced and pretty level headed, which is what you need from the rep. In the interim role... depends on what he does now. At least with Eli or Kirk I would know where we were going next. I'm just glad it wasn't Eli. I generally respect him but his stance on this issue is not something I'd support.

6. Discuss the news this week, anything that stood out, especially if it related to your team.

I owe an apology to the Edwards family. I wasn't informed that his wife was due but what happened shouldn't have anyway. There's clearly been a failure in our systems here and I will be looking to address that immediately. Players don't routinely take their mobiles out onto the field or practice field with them so we should have processes in place to ensure a member of staff can pass on these kinds of emergency messages to them. Edwards should have been pulled off the practice field as soon as the team received the call and it should not have been left to his mobile as the only way to contact him in that situation. He is right to be infuriated by it. On behalf of myself and the whole organisation I am sorry for this failure in our processes.
As for the rumour that players are reaching out to the HIFLPA over our mobile phone policy last week, I'm not sure it's unreasonable to tell players they can't TikTok or Instagram when they're supposed to be working. There were far too many distractions last week so the decision was made to introduce a temporary policy banning mobiles from the facility in order to refocus on the game. Based on the close victory I think I'm fully vindicated in that decision. It is not something I intend to repeat though. I do want to reassure my players that I will be happy to speak to the HIFLPA if they want to reach out to me this week.

7. It is mid-season, who has been your teams MVP?  Who needs to step up and show you more in the final half of the season?

How can I not give particular praise to Crawford for topping the rushing charts and breaking 1000 yards by mid season? He's having another fantastic year and deserves to be in the league MVP conversation. I better not call anyone out for needing to step up though. Don't want to hand the PFL any additional ammunition.

8. The trade deadline is fast approaching, what should fans expect from your office?

Not a lot. When your roster needs can suddenly change like they have been it's very difficult to plan any trades and I don't want to cause unnecessary upheaval. That's not to say I'm ruling trading out, I just don't expect to do much business.

9.  Discuss this week

I think at 7-1 the players have earned a break. We all probably need one after the week we've just had so this bye comes at a good time.
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Coach, it was close but all that matters is the win in the end. Great work. You, the coaches and the players deserve the week off as reward for an excellent start to the season. Hopefully the team will look much the same when you get back.

[Talon]

We're going to make sure everyone stays focused during the break, but they have definitely earned some rest.

[GM Dazz]

I was very tempted to have the players taken out into the Outback this week but after the complaints about losing phones for a few days I thought I better not. I'll leave plans for the week to your judgement but I definitely want the lads to enjoy themselves. They deserve it.  Could you ask Smitty to come see me before you let the players go on their break please?
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Smitty, we've all seen the news. You're having a very good season here in a great season so far for this team. We're once again tied for the best record in the league at the half-way point and are well on our way to securing another playoff spot and a great chance at a run to the Impact Bowl. Things are fantastic here at the moment, we're flying high and you're playing a key role. We've invested a lot of effort in helping you work on your hands and I've seen huge improvements in your performances over the years you've played for us. I understand the allure of the PFL but not at this stage of the season. You're in a contract year and could command a big fee in the off-season so I'd only ask you to be patient for a few more months. Imagine the offers you'll get if you've got a new ring to show off come the end of the season. If game time is the main draw for you we can certainly talk about your role in the team and how you're used in the different formations. What are you thinking at the moment?

[Talon]

 

First off, let me start by saying I'm happy right now. Life's good, we good, and I'm getting touchdowns...

That being said, I can double my money by signing in the PFL and not have to worry about free agency, OR you could go ahead and extend my deal at $15MM per season starting next season.

[GM Dazz]

I was going to call your agent about an extension during this bye week anyway and that figure isn't unreasonable.  Maybe I should get the PFL to make me an offer to boost my contract renewal as well. I'll call your agent shortly and get that extension sorted. Cheers Smitty. I'm glad we could resolve this sensibly.
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Harley, I believe we have fended off one attack. A strategic retreat might be in order for the other but some reconnaissance can't hurt. Could you ask Malone to come speak to me please?
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I hear the PFL have offered you a deal.

[Talon]

 

Yes sir, they have.

[GM Dazz]

I want you to stay and, considering you're under contract, we shouldn't even be having this conversation but these are strange times. I'm not going to promise you more game time or to make any adjustment to your current contract. I trust you will make the right decision for yourself and your career, though I always recommend speaking to your agent before deciding on something like that. That'll be all, thank you.
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Harley, could I speak to Steve Rosenhaus please?
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Mr Rosenhaus, it's GM Dazz.  I've had your client Smitty Smoke ask me for a $15m extension, starting season 17, after the PFL offered to double his contract. Part of me respects him using this situation to maximise his earnings going forwards and part of me is annoyed at the extortion. I was going to call to extend his deal anyway and I think he's doing a great job here so I don't think that value is unreasonable. I would want another 4 years from him if I'm going to sign off on that amount though.

[Talon]

4 years, $15MM per season, starting next season?

[GM Dazz]

That's the offer.