Despite leading Sydney University to the Shute Shield premiership with a brilliant individual display from fullback, Waratahs star Daniel Halangahu declared he still coveted the five-eighth role for NSW in next year's Super 14.

With Peter Hewat joining English club London Irish next year, the Tahs' No.15 jersey is vacant, and Halangahu would have certainly impressed NSW coach Ewen McKenzie - who was in the SFS stands - with a 19-point haul and man-of-the-match honours.

"I see myself as a five-eighth," Halangahu said. "Going back to fullback was more of a team thing. We didn't really have a fullback [at University].

"It is great to feel more comfortable back there now. The first few games were a bit rusty for me but now I feel more confident. It can't go against me when it comes to selection next year, but there is a long way to go, we've got the ARC [Australian Rugby Championship], and I will be playing five-eighth there [for Sydney Fleet] and hopefully get back to where I enjoy playing."

NSW will not be short of options, with Halangahu's rivals for the five-eighth jersey - Kurtley Beale and Sam Norton-Knight - also accustomed to the fullback role.

"They can both play 15 as well so whether we go back to mixing up the role a bit, either way, there's a lot of options there, and hopefully I can play well and just secure a spot somewhere in the starting 15," Halangahu said.

The best sportsmen are able to rise on the big occasions, and in a game played among very good players, Halangahu was the clearly the best. Not only was his goalkicking influential, Halangahu's kicking in general play was solid, and his running incisive.

His second try was sheer class. He beat Easts defenders Angus Esslemont and Adam Wallace-Harrison in a small amount of space near the eastern corner to put his side ahead 19-11 with 20 minutes left.

Halangahu earlier gave the Students their first points of the game just before the break. He made a long break and was held down by Easts hooker Saia Faingaa, who was sin-binned for the foul. Halangahu then bobbed up on the other side of the field to follow a quick tap and glide through two tacklers to score.

"In a grand final you can't really rate your own performance, when we're playing as a team like that," Halangahu said. "You look at the whole team. For the first 20 minutes, we didn't really shine.

"It might look like individual brilliance but there is a lot of work that goes in before that. It also goes back to the coaches and the work they do the week before.

"It is really a team effort."