Penrith coach Ivan Cleary has struggled to explain his team’s horror start to their grand final defeat – but is adamant his selection gamble wasn’t a factor in it.

Having risen to each occasion in their electric run to Sunday’s NRL decider, the exuberant Panthers suffered stage fright on their way to slumping to a 26-0 hole after 47 minutes against Melbourne.

The minor premiers eventually rallied to dramatically get within one try at the death, however in the end they were made to pay for letting the Storm thunder out to an unassailable lead.

Cleary denied his side felt the burn under the bright lights.

“I don’t think we were overawed,” he said.

“You have seen right through the semi-finals series that teams haven’t been perfect. In grand finals that happens a lot. I wouldn’t have looked at us in the first half and said we were overawed.

“They took their opportunities and we didn’t.”

Two of Melbourne’s opportunities came down the Panthers’ right edge, where Cleary again promoted utility Tyrone May to the centres at the expense of Brent Naden. May gave away a penalty try for the opening points in the first half, before Ryan Papenhuyzen sliced through a gap between May and Nathan Cleary for the first try of the second half.

Naden spent the majority of the regular season in the backline, but was shuffled out prior to last week’s preliminary final triumph over South Sydney and was again benched against the Storm due to defensive issues.

By the time he was injected into the game in the second half, the Storm were ahead four tries to none.

“I thought he played really well. Really well,” Cleary said of Naden’s second-half cameo.

“Those are the decisions you make, I was happy with how that went. I always thought he could add something at the back end of the game … disappointing that it was 26-0 at that stage.”

Departing skipper James Tamou predicted the team, the majority of which will return next year, will continue to have success despite his departure.

The Wests Tigers-bound Tamou is the only player leaving the side that took the field at ANZ Stadium.

“I have made mates for life here. It’s going to be tough,” he said.

“I will keep a close eye on the boys and everyone who goes their separate ways as well. It is what it is. You move on. But if they can keep this group close together they will have a lot of success.”