Blake Austin talks Leeds Rhinos' late winner against Giants, play-off prospects and his yellow card

Austin touched down three minutes from time to pull the game from the fire and secure a sixth successive victory.

“We are disappointed with the way the match panned out, but to grab two points at this time of year, in that fashion, I am sure everyone at the game enjoyed it and it was certainly a moment I enjoyed,” Austin said.

“I feel like I have been building for that.

“My game was nowhere near perfect, but to grab a moment like that at the end of the match is pretty special.

“We are disappointed with how we played, it was very messy, but we’ll take it.”

The win was Austin’s third comeback game after missing five through injury.

“I’ve never been one that enjoys watching, but when they’re winning it’s easier to watch,” he reflected.

“Then you feel like you’ve got a responsibility, when you get back, to maintain what they’ve created. I owe my teammates for that.

“Coming back into a winning team, it gives you another leg, to not ruin what they’ve created.”

Rhinos are fifth in the table with two rounds remaining in the regular season, but Austin reckons a top-six finish - and place in the play-offs - isn’t yet secure.

“No way,” he said.

“There’s two teams who will have a lot to say about that.

“Cas are a quality side and Salford are the form team in the competition, so it’s by no means done.”

Leeds are back in action on Monday when they travel to Catalans Dragons, but Austin stressed: “Everyone’s got a short turnaround.

“It’s not ideal, but we are no harder done by than the other teams.

“We’ll do our best, show up and hopefully put in a cleaner performance.”

Before that, Austin faces an anxious wait until the RFL’s match review panel meet on Friday, after being sin-binned in the first half for a foul on Giants’ Sam Hewitt.

“I haven’t seen it,” Austin said of the incident.

“He [referee Jack Smith] told me it was a shoulder charge.

“I think that’s harsh, I don’t remember it as a shoulder charge.

“I leant in on a lead, he ran a pretty honest line that was hard to get off, but I’ll have to watch it back.”