Blake Austin has reiterated his desire to remain at Leeds Rhinos beyond the end of the season. The halfback, who signed a one-year deal at the club ahead of the 2022 season, admitted he has yet to finalise his future but would like to remain at the club beyond the end of his existing deal.
Austin has been a regular this season and produced arguably his best performance of the season in last week's victory over Wakefield Trinity. The Australian scored and was a presence through the victory.
He was a notable exclusion from an RFL-published document of off-contract players, but Austin says he has yet to sign a contract either at Leeds or anywhere else. Despite that, he says his wish is to remain at the club.
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"I'm not looking to go anywhere else," Austin told Leeds Live. "I've come to a big club and I've wanted to really impress. The season hasn't gone the way I've wanted but I also feel that I'm sticking pretty solid, I've stuck it out, been out there most of the games and I have put in some pretty solid performances.
"I'm judged solely on my running game unfortunately which annoys me a little bit because I think I'm much more than that. but at the end of the day, when I'm at my best I have the potential to be pretty good and if I'm not at that level I get that.
"But as I said, I think I've been pretty solid without being brilliant and hopefully we can build under the system that Rohan is creating."
Austin added that an extended stay at Headingley would be the preference of his family, who relocated to the city after he secured his move to the club from Warrington Wolves.
"I've got four kids and it gets difficult to continue dragging them around. As I said, I came to this proud club wanting to be loved by the South Stand and I'm doing my best to achieve that every week.
"We have a long way to go this season but I don't give up on anything and I want to make sure when I do leave this club that I'm remembered fondly. I'm not looking to go anywhere else and I hope I can stay, for sure."
Of the club's off-contract players, Jack Broadbent and Alex Mellor are expected to join Castleford Tigers with Brad Dwyer set to join Super League champions St Helens.
