Kyle Feldt and Murray Taulagi responded with four-pointers for the hosts before Alec MacDonald kept his elbow off the turf to 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.
Cowboys hooker Reece Robson celebrates a try.Credit: Getty Images
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 before a short Cowboys drop-out backfired when forward Griffin Neame wasn’t able to clean up a loose ball. Wishart was the first to dive on the loose ball and level the scores.
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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.
