The sight of kids sprinting to catch a Nathan Cleary conversion will continue after the public demanded grass hills be retained at the revamped Penrith Stadium.
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But the Panthers co-captain and his premiership teammates will have to spend at least a year on the road to allow room for the $309 million redevelopment.
Draft plans for the project were unveiled on Wednesday, transforming the community oval into a long-awaited sporting and entertainment precinct.
A new western grandstand and a significantly redeveloped eastern grandstand will be steeper than current stands, increasing the ground capacity to 25,000 and improving sight lines.
Fans will get more food and beverage outlets and amenities while players will benefit from four new change rooms.
The hills at the northern and southern end of the field will be retained, reflecting feedback from more than 3000 fans and locals on the project.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said some fans had feared the grassed areas behind the goals were bound to be lost.
"This (plan) is a really good balance," he said on Wednesday.
"People love that hill, it's a family hill; on the big days, that's the place that fills up first."
The stadium is expected to close after the 2024 NRL season and re-open in 2026, putting the Panthers on the road for the 2025 season.
While that was not ideal for his team, coach Cleary backed his side to continue its impressive record away from home.
Infrastructure NSW said the community strongly valued the identity of the existing stadium, including the grassed hills and limited corporate presence.
Local MP Karen McKeown said she and every other fan of western Sydney sport were excited the "iconic" hills had been saved.
"As Penrith continues to grow, the new Penrith Stadium precinct will be an active hub that the whole community can enjoy," she said.
Labor committed to the $309 million redevelopment before the 2023 state election, but it scrapped plans to rebuild the stadium on a neighbouring site after the cost of that proposal snowballed.
The project offered value for money by delivering a world class stadium in a booming area, Deputy Premier Prue Car said.
But the price tag of the current works was difficult to swallow when the new 30,000-seat Parramatta Stadium cost about the same to build, the opposition said.
"$309 million to increase seating capacity by 2500 - it seems to be poorly directed and poorly thought-out infrastructure," leader Mark Speakman said on Wednesday.
The coalition also pledged to redevelop Penrith Stadium before the 2023 poll.
The revamp plans from both sides of politics have drawn accusations of pork-barrelling from mayors wanting funding for smaller upgrades to other suburban grounds, including the dilapidated Leichhardt Oval, where NRL cellar-dwellers West Tigers play some home games.
Once the Penrith Stadium redevelopment is complete, the site will join the portfolio of major state-owned stadiums managed by Venues NSW, including the SCG and Stadium Australia.
Australian Associated Press
