Charles Elton - Seattle Seawolves
Charles Elton - Seattle Seawolves
Openside flanker Elton produced a herculean effort in defence with 27 tackles made, as well as an astounding 28 ruck arrivals, showcasing the 31-year-old's engine.
Elton also made a dent in the defensive line with his three carries and was a key part of the Seawolves' 28-22 victory over Chicago Hounds, which saw Seattle move to within one point of their opponents in the basement battle in the Western Conference.
| # | Team | PL | W | L | D | PD | BP | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Houston SaberCats | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 49 | 8 | 32 |
| 2 |  Utah Warriors | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 71 | 7 | 31 |
| 3 |  San Diego Legion | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 37 | 6 | 26 |
| 4 |  RFCLA | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | -26 | 9 | 25 |
| 5 |  Seattle Seawolves | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 15 | 8 | 24 |
Despite Seattle picking up only four wins this term, they only trail conference leaders Houston SaberCats by eight points.
Kiwi Elton moved to Seattle in 2022 from Otago and has made 30 appearances - all starts - in the Emerald City.
Paula Balekana - New England Free Jacks
The Fijian, former Zebre winger has played rugby all over the world with stints in Sydney, Italy, USA and New Zealand, as well as his homeland.
Balekana, 31, scored two tries, made a whopping 123 metres, while also proving rock solid in defence with seven tackles during New England's 26-6 victory away at Anthem RC.
That took Balekana's tally to six tries in seven outings this season after a memorable hat-trick against Miami Sharks earlier in the season.
New England are top of the Eastern Conference but only by a point with Chicago Hounds hot on their heels.
| # | Team | PL | W | L | D | PD | BP | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  New England Free Jacks | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 58 | 6 | 34 |
| 2 |  Chicago Hounds | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 46 | 5 | 33 |
| 3 |  Old Glory DC | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | -17 | 8 | 24 |
| 4 |  Miami Sharks | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | -71 | 5 | 21 |
| 5 |  NOLA Gold | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 21 |
| 6 |  Anthem RC | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 | -165 | 5 | 05 |
Shane O'Leary - Miami Sharks
Full-back O'Leary scored 15 points, made 36 metres with ball in hand, while also producing 42 kicking metres with his deadeye sharpshooting proving the catalyst for Miami's 37-35 triumph at Old Glory DC.
O'Leary, 32, was perfect from the tee, slotting four conversions and three penalties as Miami edged an enthralling contest to move up to fourth in the Eastern Conference.
The versatile Irish back, who can also play fly-half and centre, has been around the block. Having started his professional career at Grenoble in 2013, O'Leary has since enjoyed spells at Connacht, Ealing Trailfinders, Nottingham, Rouen, Toronto Arrows and Miami since 2023.
O’Leary is also a social media rugby analyst, talking viewers through tries like Tommasso Allan’s against England in 2024.