Melbourne’s love affair with their new home base has continued with a thumping 36-20 win over North Queensland at Sunshine Coast Stadium to continue their NRL finals tune-up.

The Storm kept a grip on second place on the ladder – four points clear of the Sydney Roosters – and extended their record against the Cowboys to 11 straight as well as their unbeaten record at their adopted home ground.

Now three points off the pace-setting Panthers, they set up the victory with a big first half, racing to a 24-4 lead at the break.

North Queensland got off to the best possible start when young winger Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow ran onto a grubber by Esan Marsters which caused some confusion in the Storm defence.

But their 4-0 lead soon evaporated when Cowboys firebrand Josh McGuire was sent to the sinbin in the seventh minute for “verbal dissent” – giving referee Grant Atkins a foul-mouthed spray after he was tackled.

While he was off both Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Tino Faasuamaleaui crashed through the middle, running on to quick ball from their skipper Cameron Smith to open up a 12-4 lead.

Winger Josh Addo-Carr showed a clean pair of heels and five-eighth Cameron Munster crossed either side of halftime to make it 26 points and it was effectively game over after 45 minutes.

To the Cowboys’ credit, they rallied in the second half to at least make a fist of it.

Marsters scooted through a big hole and outpaced Storm winger Suliasi Vunivalu for a 40m try, while ex-Melbourne playmaker Scott Drinkwater put up a pinpoint kick for Kyle Feldt to outleap Addo-Carr.

Melbourne then snuffed out any hope of an unlikely upset with Jahrome Hughes adding their sixth try of the afternoon.