Gerringong issued a huge warning for their Group Seven rivals after thumping the Gorillas on their home turf on Sunday afternoon.
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It was tipped to be the match of the round, but instead it was the Lions who put on a clinic, running in eight tries during the 44-8 blitz at Cec Glenholmes Oval.
Kayne Brennan finished with a double, but the four-pointers were shared between seven Lions during the dominant display.
"It was a good response after getting beaten last week (they lost 6-4 to Kiama]. We had a few guys out today and everyone stepped up and did their jobs. Right across the park, we were good," Gerringong coach Scott Stewart said. "I just think played their role really well and we were a little bit more patient with the footy. And having a dry track helped as well.
"I think that would be the biggest win we've had at Warilla in a few years, so it was definitely satisfying."
Gerringong were able to force the early error on Sunday and they cashed in, with Nathan Ford darting over to score. However, a knock on from the kick off invited trouble for the visitors. Warilla threw everything at their opponents during the set, with Lleyton Hughes crashing over to get the equaliser.
The chaotic start to the start continued in the opening 15 minutes. On the back of a penalty, the Lions made big metres down field before shifting the ball to Joel Doosey, who scored out wide to lead 8-4.
Approaching the 20-minute mark, there was a pause in play following a high shot from Warilla's Jack Morris on Judd Collyer. The Lions received the penalty and opted to take the two, with Jake Taylor's boot taking them out to a 10-4 advantage. The game then settled into an end-to-end pattern, before the Lions again hit the scoreboard when Brennan beat his opponent to score.
Heading into the dying stages of the half, the Gorillas needed a spark - and it was Jake Brisbane who provided it. The five-eighth put through a clever grubber kick, which he then regathered and planted over the try line to cut the deficit to 16-8 at the break.
However, it was the Lions who again came out firing in the second half. Rixon Russell found a huge gap through the middle before finding Denver Ford, and his flick pass set up Isaac Russell to score under the posts. Ben Grant made no mistake and the visitors led 22-8.
Momentum continued to swing towards the Lions and a slide of hands led to Grant beating the fullback to score in the corner. Taylor's conversion extended their advantage to 28-8.
The nightmare continued for Warilla midway through the half, with Dylan Farrell palming off several opponents on his way to scoring and taking the Lions' lead out to 32-8.
At the other end, the Gorillas threw everything at their opponents but couldn't find a way across the chalk. Any hint of a comeback was then snuffed out when Hamish Holland dived over with 10 minutes to go.
The Lions then rounded out the 44-8 victory when they ran the length of the field to score, with Brennan completing his double.
The result means the Lions jump to top position on the Group Seven ladder, after the Knights were upset 22-16 by the Eagles on Sunday. The Stingrays beat the Jets 32-12 in Sunday's other clash, while Jamberoo outclassed the Bulldogs by 32-16 on Saturday.
The round will be completed on Wednesday night when the Sharks meet the Magpies in a postponed match.
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Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
