Halse was the hero of the Dunedin premier team that unexpectedly beat University A 20-10 in the semifinal at the University Oval to advance to the final against Alhambra-Union at Carisbrook next Saturday.
Playing his first premier game for Dunedin, Halse got his chance only because regular goal-kicker Tumua Ioane was among the crowd gathered to see the Pope at World Youth Day in Sydney.
Halse has been injured and has played only a handful of games for the Dunedin premier 2 team this year.
He has not been the regular goal-kicker for that team.
He played on the right wing and made no mistakes, and his catching and tactical kicking were sound.
But his biggest asset was his goal-kicking.
He landed four goals from his five attempts to score 10 of his team's points, including a 40m penalty goal with the wet ball that put Dunedin level with the students, 10-10, at half-time.
Halse, who played for the Auckland Grammar 2nd XV, did not have great credentials when he began his studies at the University of Otago.
Dunedin assistant coach Mark Scully said the performance of recruits such as Halse and Ben Sinnamon would create selection headaches for the Dunedin team management this week.
Ioane, and midfield back Scott Milne who was on holiday in Australia with his girlfriend, would be back and keen to play in the final.
Alhambra-Union coach Mike Moeahu has a similar problem. With Otago representatives Casey Stone and Karne Hesketh returning, who will he leave out?Dunedin has won the banner nine times, the last being in 2005 when it beat University A 19-12.
This will be the third time in four years that it has been in the final.
It lost to Southern 13-9 last year.
Alhambra-Union won the banner in 2006 when it beat University A 23-17.
