LEIGH LEOPARDS star Zak Hardaker has suggested that Blake Austin’s comments on Gary Hetherington ‘bit him on the arse’ in his Leeds Rhinos exit saga.
Austin had been one of Leeds’ most potent weapons in the second half of the 2023 Super League season but left Headingley under a cloud on the last day of the transfer deadline back on August 4.
As a result, the Australian playmaker signed for Castleford Tigers on a deal until the end of the year, with Austin appearing on a podcast the week before the move.
And Hardaker believes that comments were made that perhaps should have been kept close to Austin’s chest.
“Funny enough, before we played Leeds we previewed Blake Austin and Richie Myler’s as their two main threats. Richie Myler broke his toe and Blake Austin got let go or whatever happened there,” Hardaker said on the Fully Game podcast.
“Funny enough he did a podcast with someone and he kind of spilt some beans that you probably shouldn’t have spilt. I thought it might bite him on the arse.
“Whether they came to a mutual agreement or what, I really don’t know. But yeah, he said some things about the owner Gary Hetherington.
“I think he just said what he might have done right or might have done wrong. I know Gary, I’ve been at Leeds for years so I was like, I don’t think Gary will like that. A week later and he’s not there so take that for what you will.”
Austin will be in the public eye tonight when Castleford head to Wakefield Trinity tonight.
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