In his second season with the club, Parks started less frequently in the league, which had been renamed as the Pro12. In the 2011–12 Pro12 he played 13 times, but only eight of these appearances came as starts. In the 2011–12 Heineken Cup however, Parks started all seven of Cardiff's matches as they qualified for the quarter-finals as best runners-up in the pool stages before being knocked out by the defending champions Leinster. In his 20 matches Parks scored 137 points, including scoring his first try for the side in a league game against Ulster. Parks left Cardiff at the end of the season.