Melbourne halfback Cooper Cronk proved once again why he is certain to assume the Australian No.7 jumper with a five-star display in the Storm’s 42-18 NRL thumping of North Queensland on Sunday night.

Challenged briefly, the Storm juggernaut rolled through Townsville as Melbourne maintained their unbeaten start to the season.

What was supposed to be the Storm’s toughest test of 2012 turned into a cakewalk – Will Chambers, Kevin Proctor and Matt Duffie all scoring doubles in the eight tries to three rout.

And Cronk was at the centre of most of the carnage – the recently re-signed playmaker utilising an array of passes and kicks to play a leading role in five of the tries.

The Cowboys – who opened the scoring less than two minutes into the contest via a clever Matt Bowen try – threatened to make a game of it when Gavin Cooper crossed on the stroke of halftime to cut the Storm lead to just four at the break.

But three tries in the 14 minutes after the restart blew the home side away, veteran prop Jason Ryles kick-starting the rot when he barged over from short range in the 43rd minute.

It took the Storm just five minutes to reply to the Cowboys’ early salvo, with Cronk sending Duffie over out wide.

Cowboys skipper Johnathan Thurston was no chance of stopping Proctor from short range before the Storm turned on the razzle-dazzle with a Cronk grubber in behind the defensive line pounced on by Billy Slater, who fed Ryan Hinchcliffe for a 16-6 lead.

The Cowboys played some hot potato football to strike back before the break only for the Storm to put on a second stanza clinic with five tries.

The only joy for the Cowboys in the second half was a powerful James Tamou try just after the hour, the prop showing just why he has caught the eye of NSW Origin coach Ricky Stuart when he beat three players in a 20 metre run to the line.