None of Saturday's teams were in finals contention, but pride was still on the line, and both games were genuine contests.
The matches were played under the experimental rule that allows the side conceding a try to choose whether to kick off or receive, and both games saw teams use the latter option and score shortly after.
In the day's first game, the Eels scored five second-half tries and overcame a 16-point deficit to win a thriller at CommBank Stadium.
After losing their opening six matches of the season, the Eels ended 2026 with four wins from their last five starts.
The Cowboys' Charlize Lloyd-Phillips got the scoring under way after just four minutes, but suffered a suspected ACL injury in the process.
Parramatta took less than three minutes to reply, strike centre Rory Owen crossing for her sixth try in four games, before former Wallaroos star Ash Marsters posted the only other try of the half to see the Cowboys up 10-6 at the break.
Cowboys hooker Alisha Foord snuck over two minutes into the second half, and another four-pointer followed quickly to Makenzie Weale to give North Queensland a 22-6 lead.
However, with veteran Kennedy Cherrington sin-binned, the 12-player Eels scored tries to Zali Fay and Jasmin Morrissey to get within six points.
Keilee Joseph then made it three tries in eight minutes to tie things up.
Cowboys interchange hooker Nadia Windleborn put her side back on top, before Joseph again tied the scores.
Experienced half Rachael Pearson stepped up to nail a one-pointer for Parramatta with four minutes remaining, before Owen sealed victory with a stunning 90m effort moments later.
In Saturday's second game, the Sharks came out firing in the second half to defeat the Dragons at Allianz Stadium, handing their local rivals the wooden spoon.
It marked Cronulla's first back-to-back wins in 2026 following their upset of the Warriors in Auckland last week.
It took 20 minutes for the first points to be registered, Dragons front-rower Ruby-Jean Kennard-Ellis powering over from 12 metres out for the only score of an opening half littered with 15 errors.
It didn't take as long for points in the second period, with Sharks half Chantay Kiria-Ratu delivering a beautiful short ball two minutes in for China Polata to run 50m to score.
Four minutes later Georgia Hannaway dived over from dummy half for Cronulla's second.
Ellie Johnston made it three tries within 13 minutes for the Sharks, and when Dragons centre Tyra Ekepati was sin-binned for a high shot it looked like Cronulla may run away with it, but the Dragons held strong in those 10 minutes.
Shenae Ciesiolka scored a consolation try for the Dragons in her 50th NRLW appearance, but it was too little, too late.
