On September 12, the Parramatta Eels scored a thrilling 33-28 victory over the North Queensland Cowboys in NRLW action, overcoming an early 16-point deficit and finishing their season with four wins from their last five games. Meanwhile, the Cronulla Sharks handed the St George Illawarra Dragons the wooden spoon by defeating them 16-8 at Sydney Football Stadium, marking Cronulla's first back-to-back wins of the season. Both matches featured the experimental rule allowing teams to choose whether to kick off or receive after conceding a try, which both teams used strategically during their games.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On Saturday, September 12, Parramatta Eels secured a thrilling 33-28 victory over the Cowboys, coming back from a 16-point deficit. This came just hours before the Sharks handed the Dragons the wooden spoon with a 16-8 win in NRLW action, sealing the Dragons' last-place finish for the season. Despite neither game being part of finals contention, both matches were intense and closely fought, highlighting the teams’ determination to end their seasons on a high note.
The experimental rule allowing conceding teams to choose whether to kick off or receive was used by both sides in Saturday’s games, leading to immediate scores after these choices. Parramatta’s comeback included five second-half tries as they rallied from behind at Western Sydney Stadium. After starting the season poorly with six consecutive losses, the Eels ended 2026 with four wins in their final five matches, showing significant improvement over the last stretch of the season.
Written for “NRLW Football Results” on 2026-09-12,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
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No political leaning scored for article 8273 · logged 2026-09-12
→Sun, 13 Sept, 12:00 pm, Game not started, Broncos versus Warriors
- - →Sun, 13 Sept, 1:45 pm, Game not started, Knights versus Titans
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Parramatta has scored a thrilling 33-28 come-from-behind victory over the Cowboys, and the Sharks have handed the Dragons the wooden spoon with a 16-8 win in the final round of NRLW action.
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Sharks → start → action
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.
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teams → play → option
In the day's first game, the Eels scored five second-half tries and overcame a 16-point deficit to win a thriller at Western Sydney Stadium.
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Eels → score → Stadium
After losing their opening six matches of the season, the Eels ended 2026 with four wins from their last five starts.
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Eels → lose → starts
The Cowboys' Charlize Lloyd-Phillips got the scoring under way after just four minutes, but suffered a suspected ACL injury in the process.
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Phillips → get → 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.
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Cowboys → take → 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.
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pointer → sneak → 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.
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Eels → bin → points
Keilee Joseph then made it three tries in eight minutes to tie things up.
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it → make → things
Cowboys interchange hooker Nadia Windleborn put her side back on top, before Joseph again tied the scores.
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Joseph → put → 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.
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Owen → step → effort
In Saturday's second game, the Sharks came out firing in the second half to defeat the Dragons at Sydney Football Stadium, handing their local rivals the wooden spoon.
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Sharks → come → spoon
It marked Cronulla's first back-to-back wins in 2026 following their upset of the Warriors in Auckland last week.
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It → mark → Auckland
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.
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Ellis → take → 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.
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Polata → take → ball
Four minutes later Georgia Hannaway dived over from dummy half for Cronulla's second.
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Hannaway → dive → 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.
AAP
uncertain
it → make → appearance