Ryan Papenhuyzen was an early casualty as North Queensland's scrappy defeat of a patchwork Melbourne went closer to locking in a Townsville start to their NRL finals campaign.
The Cowboys prevailed 38-30 in an 11-try affair at home on Thursday, victory in the penultimate regular-season round pushing them three points clear of seventh-placed Manly ahead of the Sea Eagles' clash with Canterbury on Friday.
The Storm made 11 changes to the side that wrapped up the minor premiership last week but kept big guns Papenhuyzen and Cameron Munster in the line-up.
Papenhuyzen lasted just 14 minutes though, the injury-plagued fullback grabbing at his lower leg after returning a ball from the in-goal area.
He didn't return but cut a relaxed figure on the sideline, coach Craig Bellamy hopeful scans reveal a lower leg cork as suspected by Storm medical staff.
Melbourne centre Marion Seve (ankle) also left the game early after his leg was caught in an unsuccessful attempt to stretch for a try.
Fresh off a bye, the Cowboys missed 27 tackles to the Storm's four in the first half and had slack defence to blame for most of the five tries conceded.
"We'll take them any way they come really, but a really scrappy game," Cowboys coach Todd Payten, who was especially critical of his side's defence, said.
"They (the Storm) stripped it right back, did things simply and we were looking to finesse our way to a victory.
"In our review, in conversations, whether it's me or (players) ... it'll be spoken about and questions will be answered."
Two errors in as many minutes to begin the contest allowed Lazarus Vaalepu to barge over for his first NRL try.
Kyle Feldt and Murray Taulagi responded with four-pointers for the hosts before Alec MacDonald kept his elbow off the turf to avoid a double movement and register another soft Melbourne try.
Tyran Wishart then pulled the Cowboys' pants down from the scrum base, going himself to fool Jeremiah Nanai and score the Storm's third.
But Super League-bound Felt's second, and a third laser-like sideline conversion from Valentine Holmes, who kicked seven-of-seven, ensured the hosts went to the break with a lead despite completing just 12 first-half sets.
Holmes, in his 200th game, then scored himself after North Queensland opted to run at a disjointed defensive line on the last tackle to begin the second half.
The Storm slotted a penalty goal then a short Cowboys drop-out backfired when forward Griffin Neame wasn't able to clean up a loose ball, Wishart the first to dive on the loose ball and then level the scores.
North Queensland hit straight back though, Reece Robson diving on a loose ball after Tom Dearden's offload on the tryline was knocked down.
They then repelled a series of Melbourne attacks before Dean Ieremia's attempt to swipe a ball dead failed and Nanai scored the simplest of tries.
Ativalu Lisati scored a brilliant, late solo try on debut while Sualauvi Faalogo was electric at fullback after Papenhuyzen's exit.
Munster was critical of his in-game kicking that he thought led to two decisive Cowboys tries.
"I need to be a bit more clinical and better with my execution," he said.
"I'm pretty devastated losing for those guys that played their first game."
