Young Penrith Panthers half Nathan Cleary says he and five-eigth Te Maire Martin need to improve after the Panthers were dismantled by Cronulla 28-2 on Sunday.

The Panthers attack was at times pedestrian and Cleary wants the improving duo to offer more for their team with the ball.

“Me and Te Maire are still trying to work each other out and our games and what kind of works best for our combination,” Cleary said.

“We’ve developed a bit since Round one passing the ball to each other a bit more but it’s about adding in those different variations to keep teams guessing.”

Cleary defended Martin after the big loss.

“We’ve got to work together a bit more, I need to give him the ball in better position so he can work his magic but it’s kind of a collaborative thing.”

The Panthers next week face fierce rivals Parramatta at ANZ Stadium.