Parramatta's luckless start to the NRLW season has continued after star recruit Elsie Albert re-injured her calf in their 22-12 loss to Brisbane, who were reduced to 11 players for almost 10 minutes.
PNG international prop Albert tweaked her calf just before half-time in her club debut, having missed the first three games of the season with the training injury.
Albert needed the assistance of two trainers to hobble from the field at Brisbane's Langlands Park and looks set to join suspended forward Kennedy Cherrington on the sidelines.
With new halfback Rach Pearson back from a calf injury of her own, last-placed Parramatta were up for the fight on Saturday.
Down 16-6, Parramatta had a nine-minute window to seize all momentum after Brisbane lost two players to the sin bin in quick succession.
Prop Brianna Clark was first to go for making direct shoulder contact to the head of Eels fullback Abbi Church.
Only a minute later, bench forward Jasmine Fogavini laid a hip-drop tackle on Rueben Cherrington and joined Clark on the sidelines.
The Eels bagged their second try through Monique Donovan on the right edge in the set after Fogavini went, Pearson closing the gap to four points with a pinpoint sideline conversion.
As Clark prepared to come back on, the Eels came close to snatching the lead but Church's pass to an unmarked Kim Hunt was ruled to have gone forward.
Parramatta rued the error when Mariah Denman barged over in the final minutes to seal a Broncos victory that keeps the Eels winless.
Elsewhere, Canberra dug deep to claim a golden-point win against St George Illawarra, continuing their impressive start in the NRLW with a third-straight victory.
The Raiders looked destined for a huge win when they led 18-6 in the first half, but were pushed to their limits when the Dragons found two tries in the last 13 minutes to level the scores.
But after another masterful kicking display, Dally M contender Zahara Temara iced the game in the extra period when she coolly slotted a drop goal after her first effort was charged down in a 19-18 victory.
The result moved the Raiders to equal-top on the NRLW ladder in their first season in the competition, with co-captain Simaima Taufa also starring after producing a whopping 192m, 26-tackle outing.
North Queensland left it late to break Wests Tigers' hearts and score a thrilling 16-12 victory in the earlier game at Langlands Park.
A penalty goal put the Tigers in front 12-10 midway through the second half and they looked to be eking to victory even without star fullback Botille Vette-Welsh, who missed the match through concussion.
But when Tigers debutant Rebecca Pollard spilt a high kick in the final minutes, the Cowboys had one more chance to attack.
And that was all they needed as five-eighth Tahlulah Tillett spun a cut-out pass to Jasmine Peters on the right edge for a try, as the final minutes ticked down.