Melbourne veteran Matt Geyer turned back the clock as the Storm maintained their NRL competition lead with a crushing 44-0 win over Newcastle at Olympic Park.

With Billy Slater, Steve Turner and former Knight Anthony Quinn all collecting doubles, the home side ran in nine unanswered tries, with 31-year-old Geyer, the only player remaining from the club's 1999 premiership, setting up three.

The victory extended the Storm's winning streak to six and maintained their four-point lead over Manly at the top of the competition table while it ended the Knights' three-match Monday night roll.

With superstar Greg Inglis sidelined with a knee injury, Geyer proved a more than capable replacement, although he had plenty of back-up.

Test incumbent Cameron Smith won the battle of the code's best hookers over Knights skipper Danny Buderus, who appeared to be hampered by his ongoing Achilles problems.

The Queensland rake set up two tries, the second scored by centre Matt King 12 minutes into the second half after Smith put a neat little grubber into the in-goal.

Geyer's star shone most brightly in the first half as he helped set up a 20-0 halftime lead.

He threw the final passes in tries scored by Ryan Hoffman, Turner and Quinn, who swapped the Israel Folau and played on the wing after being named in the centres.

Despite the disappointing scoreline Newcastle got off to a bright start and were unlucky not to take an early lead after two tries were disallowed in the opening 10 minutes.

Referee Gavin Badger also had a mixed match, with Newcastle repeatedly falling foul which led to Steve Simpson sin-binned with 13 minutes remaining.

Just over two minutes into the match Vuna chased a Luke Walsh kick into the in-goal however video referee Bill Harrigan ruled that he knocked on before grounding the ball.

The Storm then made the Knights pay two minutes later as Geyer threw Turner a perfectly-timed long pass and he dived across in the corner.

Melbourne halfback Cooper Cronk knocked on from the re-start and gave the Knights another scoring chance, however Harrigan ruled that Vuna went into touch as he raced along the sideline to touch down.

On the back of a horror penalty count and a poor completion rate, that was as close as the visitors came to getting on the scoreboard.

The pick of the Storm's second half tries was scored after Folau made a 20m break and off-loaded to speedster Slater, who raced 60m to the line.

But the sweetest was scored by Clint Newton, who walked out on the Knights six weeks ago after falling out with coach Brian Smith, and was picked up by Melbourne a day later.

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