But Cleary 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 fans will still be able to cheer their team from the hills after the stadium overhaul. (Mark Evans/AAP PHOTOS)
Infrastructure NSW said the community strongly valued the unique 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 so excited to see 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.
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.
Labor committed to the $309 million redevelopment ahead of the 2023 state election, but it scrapped plans to rebuild the stadium on a neighbouring site after the cost of that proposal snowballed.
The opposition questioned the cost of the new stadium given it will have just 2500 more seats. (HANDOUT/INFRASTRUCTURE NSW)
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, the home of NRL cellar-dwellers West Tigers.
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.
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