RUGBY LEAGUE: Ballina have sounded a warning to their NRRRL rivals, running away with a commanding victory over the defending premiers last weekend.

In a re-match of the 2018 decider, the Seagulls powered home in the second half to record a 38 points to 6 win over the Tweed Coast Raiders.

Jamie Lyon's men now now sit on top of the ladder on for and against, with Casino and Kyogle joining them on 12 competition points.

It was a learning curve for the Raiders, who were competitive in the early stages, before being overpowered by the rampant Ballina.

Captain Guy Lanston said his side would take a lot of lessons from the loss which he hopes will help them improve as the season goes on.

"Unforced errors and crucial penalties probably swung it in their favour and they capitalised and made the most of their opportunities,” Lanston said.

"Jamie Lyon steered them around well and they were able to play on the back of that.”

The Raiders will not have an easy match-up next, as they face their local rivals Cudgen, who have begun to find their best form.

The Hornets are coming off an impressive win over Mullumbimby last weekend, and Lanston said his side would need to refocus quickly before the weekend.

"We will need to come together during the week and get the positive energy back for what will be another challenge in a massive local derby against Cudgen,” he said.

"I'm confident in our team and hopefully it was just one of those off performances a team can put in.”

In other games across the weekend, Kyogle continued their rich vein of form, defeating Marist Brothers to leap into third.

The Turkeys made it five wins in a row when they accounted for the Rams 26-18.

For the Rams, they remain ninth on the ladder with one win.

Casino have moved into second on the ladder, accounting for Evans Head 30-12 away from home.

The struggles for Evans Head do not look like improving, as they remain anchored to the bottom of the table without a win after seven rounds.

The Bombers will remain at the bottom of the table for another week as they have the bye in round eight, before returning to face Mullumbimby in two weekends' time.