The forgotten man in the NSW Waratahs's march to the Super 14 final has urged coach Ewen McKenzie to throw him into the fray in tonight's title showdown.

Reserve halfback Brett Sheehan set up NSW's only try with a clean break in the 34-7 loss to the Crusaders in Christchurch in round six but has since had to take a back seat because of the emergence of Luke Burgess.

Burgess has been a revelation for the Waratahs since replacing Sheehan as starting half in round eight, the 24-year-old's promotion coinciding with NSW's first bonus-point triumph of the season against the Blues which sparked a five-match winning streak for McKenzie's men.

While Burgess has attracted plaudit after plaudit, Sheehan has been left cooling his heels on the bench.

The one-time Wallabies scrumhalf has played a total of just 40 minutes - amounting to exactly one half of rugby - in the last seven games for the Tahs.

And none in the last two matches despite feeling on top of his game before McKenzie took a different direction.

"Definitely, it's been a bit hard to take from a personal point of view. In saying that, the team's done really well," Sheehan said today.

"You always like to play a bit more football but, when I've got on, I've felt like I've done okay in the little amounts of time I have been on.

"And I enjoy playing the Crusaders and I've probably played some of my best games against the Crusaders."

The Waratahs won five of their first seven games this season when Sheehan started but the 28-year-old bears no grudge against either McKenzie or Burgess.

"I was really happy with my form," he said.

"I came off the ARC and, apart from a little mishap with a broken hand in the pre-season, I felt probably the fittest I'd been in a long time and I think it showed on the field with being able to play 60, 70-minute games.

"But they seem like they needed the change and that's just football. I played the first seven and Luke's played the last seven.

"Luke's played really well and he deserves his opportunity. He's a great kid. I've got so much respect for Luke.

"We've known each other for a long time and I'm really happy he's doing really well.

"He's got the opportunity, he's grabbed it and taken it, so it's great.

"If I can come on and support him off the bench and help the team, great.

"I feel like I'm a starting player but, when I do come off the bench, I'll try to make as much impact as I can."

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