Parramatta Eels centre Rory Owen has praised the resilience and determination shown by the side as they finished their NRLW campaign strongly.
After opening the season with six straight losses, the Eels turned things around with four wins in their last five matches, including a 33-28 victory over the Cowboys in the final round.
“I’m definitely so proud. I think we have been building, we have won games towards the end of the season," Owen told NRL.com.
"We came back so strong and it was really special to finish the seasons like this.”
The Eels were forced to overcome adversity to down the Cowboys, going down to 12 players early in the second half when Kennedy Cherrington was sin binned for a hip drop tackle on Alisha Foord.
Rory Owen Try
Trailing 22-6 at the time, the Eels dug deep to score three tries in Cherrington's absence to draw level at 22-all by the time the interchange forward returned to the field.
They fell behind again in the 58th minute when Nadia Windleborn crossed but Keilee Joseph scored three minutes later before a Rachael Pearson field goal and Owen's second try sealed the Eels' victory.
Owen said the group’s ability to respond in difficult moments had been one of the most pleasing aspects of their revival in the second half of the season.
“It was really good and getting momentum back, having a player down who is our fullback when Abbi [Church] went off [for a HIA], we had to stay on the target," said Owen.
Rory Owen 2nd Try
Having scored 10 tries in 10 games for the Eels in 2026 and played all three Origin games for Queensland, Owen identified determination, resilience and consistency as three areas that have shaped her progress.
“Early on, I thought I had good games and I realised I need to back it up with consistency," she said.
With the Eels now looking towards next season, Owen believes the late season momentum can provide an important foundation for the future.
“We need to keep pushing. It was good that we could finish the season so strongly but we needed to push harder and get more wins with that mindset earlier on," said Owen, who ran for 181 metres and broke eight tackles against the Cowboys.
“The last game to finish on a high was awesome and the Raiders game [in Round 10] was a special one as well."
Freedom Crichton Ropati Try
Owen was also proud to see the next generation of Eels players receive their opportunity during the 2026 campaign, including 18-year-old winger Freedom Crichton Ropati, who bagged a try against the Cowboys.
It’s so special, Freedom had a good debut, she has learnt a lot, she has showed that she deserve to be here and she will come back bigger and better next year," said Owen.
“Seeing all the debutants, it is amazing. We have such a high ceiling and I am super proud.
"This team gave me my debut and taught me everything I know and now I want to keep lifting, pushing my ceiling and having a role to help other girls and be a leader."
