Penrith has pulled off a $200m stadium coup, according to reports.
The NRL club’s spiritual home ground in Sydney’s west is set to be transformed under the NSW government’s $850 million spending spree.
It was first reported Thursday night construction on a new stadium is scheduled to begin in December, 2022.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported the Panthers would likely be forced to find a new home ground for two seasons before walking into their new home ground for the start of the 2025 NRL season.
The report indicates the project will cost the taxpayer at least $200 million and costs could blow out to as much as $300 million.
It is the first major announcement to be made after the NSW government last year backflipped on plans to demolish Stadium Australia at Sydney Olympic Park.
The $850 million is instead being turned towards boutique stadiums across Sydney, with Brookvale Oval and the Dragons’ home stadium at Kogarah among the sites competing for a slice of the pie.
New South Wales Deputy Premier John Barilaro at the time said the success of Bankwest Stadium in Parramatta showed why the government changed its position.
“The government has an appetite for the ground renewal program that the NRL has put forward,” Barilaro said.
“I think we’re going back to basics, back to the past where that tribalism is actually what the competition needs in a way. We’re seeing upgrades at Brookvale, you’ve got the Parramatta stadium. If we’ve got an opportunity to do three or four or five more Bankwests, well that’s got to be great for the game long term, great for the community and great for that competition.”