WITH more than half of the 2018 NRRRL season consigned to history, three Tweed clubs have encircled the league's top four.

The purple patch of form local clubs find themselves in means the NRRRL premiership is more than likely to make its way back to the Tweed by year's end.

Tweed Coast Raiders (top of the ladder) and Cudgen (second) look all but assured of a top four spot, while Murwillumbah (fourth) would be optimistic of a semi-final birth after going undefeated in their past six rounds.

Mullumbimby is the biggest threat to the primacy of the Tweed clubs, sitting in third on equal points (17) with Cudgen.

It will be a three-horse race between Cudgen, Mullumbimby and Tweed Coast for top spot as last year's premiers of Ballina, currently treading water in fifth, stalk a return to the finals.

The Raiders, who have not lost a game this season, take on Ballina today at Les Burger Field, Cabarita.

If a suddenly in-form Ballina can knock off the Raiders, it could send tremors through the competition. Seagulls also play Cudgen and Mullumbimby in the next few weeks and could jump into top-three contention by winning those games.

Cudgen, the side who looked so dominant early in the year before lowering their colours to the Raiders in a top-of-the-table clash in round eight, are experiencing mixed fortunes as they try to regain top spot from their coastal rivals.

The Hornets were buoyed by the addition of front-rower Caleb Ziebell last week during the club's 56-16 drubbing of Kyogle at New Park.

But star five-eighth Sam Grant, Ziebell's fellow NSW Country Rugby representative, left the field injured early in the game.

How Grant recovers will likely be critical in whether the Hornets can push for the minor premiership or merely hold on to a top-four spot come season's end.

The final team in the Tweed's NRRRL uprising is the Murwillumbah Mustangs, who have been the surprise packet of the season.

Murwillumbah sits in fourth after the club started the year with one win, three losses and myriad injury headaches.

Byron Bay, Evans Head and Lower Clarence are tied on six points and a semi-finals appearance seems unlikely.

NRRRL LADDER

1. Tweed Coast 19

2. Cudgen 17

3. Mullumbimby 17

4. Murwillumbah 14

5. Ballina 12

6. Casino 10

7. Marist Brothers 9

8. Byron Bay 6

9. Evans Head 6

10. Lower Clarence 6

11. Kyogle 4

12. Northern United 0