The Warriors have ended their 2016 NRL campaign on a sour note, going down 40-18 to Parramatta in a listless display in Auckland.
Careless errors and defensive frailty condemned the side to their fourth straight defeat, gifting the Eels several tries through comical mistakes.
The Warriors now finish the season in tenth place when a finals spot was theirs for the taking just three weeks ago.
Meanwhile, the Eels can take heart from ending a disastrous season off the park in the right way.
The home side roared out of the blocks at Mount Smart Stadium, claiming the lead in the third minute.
An Eels knock-on in a dangerous position gave departing Warriors five-eighth Thomas Leuluai the opportunity to slip a grubber into the corner, with which Manu Vatuvei made no mistake.
The side then extended their lead when stalwart Simon Mannering got on the end of an Issac Luke inside ball to crash over near the posts.
The Warriors were coasting in the opening period against an out-of-sorts Parramatta and dominating ball possession.
Then the Warriors lapsed, handling errors, a hallmark of the their unsuccessful finals tilt, ushered the Eels back into the contest.
Makeshift fullback Tuimoala Lolohea knocked on in front of his tryline in the 17th minute, letting Isaac De Gois in to score, before the Eels hooker grabbed a farcical second.
Luke dropped the ball while attempting to collect his own 20th minute scrum feed, handing De Gois four points on a plate.
Parramatta then took the lead in the 28th minute when Semi Radradra eased into the corner, before Mannering claimed the lead back for the Warriors after running into a defensive hole.
Eels fullback Bevan French capitalised on a Radradra gallop to reclaim the lead once again in a half that ended 22-18.
The second half started poorly for the Warriors, with French crossing the line for two simple tries.
The rookie fullback strolled through a defensive hole from dummy half for his second, before grabbing his third when centre David Fusitu’a spilled a potential intercept in the 46th minute.
A late disallowed try to rookie Nathaniel Roache, followed by a Michael Jennings try for the Eels, rubbed salt in the wounds of frustrated Warriors fans.
They will not watch their side play finals football for a fifth consecutive year.
