The Canberra five-eighth had two metal plates and 16 screws inserted into his broken hand in a bid to return in time to help the Raiders win their first title since 1994.

He rushed himself back from that operation to help Canberra progress to the preliminary final against the advice of medical staff, who believed he was still at least two weeks away from being fit to return.

"If it had have been round three or four, I would have waited another couple of weeks," Austin said. "I wasn't going to miss another game at GIO Stadium with that crowd. I'm pleased it held up well. The hand is pretty sturdy with the plates in there. The local anaesthetic numbs it and allows you to do plenty with it. I was really nervous coming in, a different sort of nerves.

"With the ankle – [it was a] slight tweak. Not too many teams are 100 per cent this time of year. I'll take a leaf out of Hodgo's [hooker Josh Hodgson] book with the way he looked after his ankle and look after mine."

Austin was limping around the field against Penrith after rolling his ankle in the opening half, saying afterwards: "That's my body this year, unfortunately."

The minor setback won't keep him out of the clash against Melbourne at AAMI Park on Saturday night, as he is hellbent on continuing to reap the benefits of two strong years under Ricky Stuart.

His rise from a bits-and-pieces player at Penrith and the Wests Tigers to Raiders star of representative calibre has been incredible.

The 25-year-old is a large reason behind the club's success and despite surprising most with what he's been able to produce for the Raiders, the Panthers junior insists he always believed he could be more than just a utility bench player.

"Without sounding arrogant, I knew I could make a mark on this level if I had a red-hot crack," Austin said. "I really worked my backside off away from the field and that's the reason. I've had my troubles with injuries and a little bit of form coming back from injuries, but if this is my worst year of footy, it's going to be an enjoyable year. We are one win away from a grand final, we can test ourselves against some of the best players in the world.

"I had full confidence coming [to Canberra]. I knew the Raiders were a big side, and being a half that likes to run the footy, you need a big pack. I knew that would suit me. When I spoke with Stick [Stuart], he told me my style of footy would suit the team. It's gone hand in hand. The boys have been really good and welcomed me. It helps having Aidan [Sezer] next to me. He is a real steady hand."

Austin, who scored Canberra's first try against Penrith in his return from a month-long lay-off, admits he came into the game with plenty of doubts in his mind.

And despite leaving battered and bruised, he insists he has overcome his mental demons as he prepares to head to Melbourne for the preliminary final showdown against the Storm.

"There were different nerves heading in," Austin said of the Panthers final. "Not performance nerves – just nerves of how I was going to feel. I was pretty confident I was ready to go but I didn't want to let the boys down. It held up alright. I can now head to Melbourne without any fear of injury."