NRL legend Cooper Cronk believes Penrith coach Ivan Cleary should make the gutsy call to ‘blanket rest’ several of the team’s stars in the coming weeks.

Despite winning the past four premierships, many considered the Panthers down and out two months into the season when they were sitting 17th on the ladder after a 2-6 start.

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Penrith have seemingly ironed out the early season kinks and are back to their fearsome best. Thanks to six straight wins, the Panthers now sit in 6th.

Cronk admitted that “he’d love” to see the Panthers win a fifth straight title given the adversity they’ve faced this season.

“I don’t have tall poppy syndrome but geez I’d love to see Penrith do it,” Cronk said on Matty and Cronk.

“Honestly, I’d love to see them from where they went to where they are.”

Co-host Matty Johns added: “They’re $7.50 to win the comp, I think that’s extremely generous. They should be about $5. They’re an enormous chance now.”

Penrith easily defeated the Rabbitohs last Friday to make it six straight wins, and they managed it without captains Isaah Yeo and Nathan Cleary, both of whom were rested.

There’s a live chance that streak extends to nine, with the Titans, Tigers and Knights next on the docket before three games against the current top three teams (Raiders, Storm, Bulldogs) to end the regular season.

Cronk said that given their run home, Penrith should consider resting their Origin stars at some stage.

“I think they should rest them. I think they should rest a big chunk of them,” Cronk said.

“They’ve done it previously where they’ve rested the majority of their team but I think the Origin players need another week off.

“I’ve been in their shoes where you aren’t playing great at club land, then Origin takes out a lot of energy and then you realise you’ve worked really hard and then you go again.

“They play the Titans, Tigers, Knights the next few weeks then finish off with Raiders, Bulldogs, Storm so I think Ivan Cleary has the chance to do a blanket rest.

“Maybe for the Raiders or Storm or Bulldogs game when the top four might be set, should they look at resting some players.”

While a top eight spot is essentially all but assured, there’s some work to do for the Panthers to earn a top four finish. Entering Round 21, they are on 25 points, five points behind the 4th-placed Warriors.

It’s near impossible for a team to win the comp from outside of the top four, with only two teams (1993 Broncos, 1995 Bulldogs) managing to do so in the NRL’s 117 year history.

However, Cronk believes the Panthers can defy history.

“For me, they don’t have to finish in the top four to win it, they can finish anywhere in the eight,” he said.

Johns then put to Cronk what teams above the Panthers on the ladder could Penrith beat if the game was being played tomorrow.

Cronk was of the opinion that Penrith would prove too good for the 2nd-placed Bulldogs and the 4th-placed Warriors, but at this point in time, the high-flying Raiders and the Melbourne Storm would defeat the Panthers.