Bounding off the bus at Sydney Airport wearing designer sunglasses and holding the premiership trophy like a guitar, Greg Inglis could have been a rock star.

And while summing up his Clive Churchill Medal-winning performance from five-eighth 15 hours earlier, he had a very rock 'n' roll message: "To be honest, the critics can go and get stuffed," Inglis said yesterday. "You prove your worth through actions, and that's what I did [on Sunday night].

"People were saying to me this and that [about his switch to five-eighth]. All I kept saying was that they're only critics and they've probably never played a hard game in their life."

Maybe, maybe not - but Inglis certainly has, even if he made Sunday's game look like the easiest game you'll ever have in your life. Two tries, including one of the best individual efforts you'll see in a grand final, one assist, two line breaks and 147 metres, earnt him best-on-ground honours as well as the Herald's Performer of the Week award.

And all from a player who, many felt, was not at home in the position he filled. Inglis Lesson, read the Herald's headline yesterday. While that certainly summed up his performance, his season could be summed up by another play on his name: Inglis Patient.

It has taken the 20-year-old the best part of this season to feel at home in the No.6. jumper. But now that he has, it seems clear he is destined for greatness there.

Coach Craig Bellamy persevered with the move, even though it had seemed to blunt Inglis's effectiveness. The fact he had scored seven tries this season before the final game, compared to 18 last season, mostly from the centres, added a statistical base to the critics' case.

However, statistics can be flawed, and in fact they masked the fact that he was the leading five-eighth in terms of try assists and line-break assists. He may not have been crossing the stripe, but he was playing a significant role in getting his teammates there.

As the Herald revealed in grand-final week, Inglis did have some teething problems after his switch to five-eighth. But as he said yesterday: "I wanted to keep persisting at it."

He had a precedent to cite: Darren Lockyer, whose switch from fullback to five-eighth attracted ridicule from some who felt that, as the game's best fullback, that was where he should stay. Lockyer's coach at Brisbane, Wayne Bennett, felt he could become the game's best five-eighth. Last season, when Lockyer captained Australia, Queensland and Brisbane to titles, both player and coach were vindicated.

Sunday night brought about a similar vindication from Bennett's coaching apprentice, and the player who could easily prove to become Lockyer's successor.

"I wanted to get on top, and obviously I did," Inglis said. "I watched the transformation when Darren Lockyer moved from fullback to five-eighth. People were doubting him, and look what he's done."

Inglis watched Lockyer during Queensland's State of Origin campaign, as well as a legend from another football code, Collingwood's Nathan Buckley.

"I haven't seen a better trainer than Nathan Buckley," Inglis said. "[Lockyer] and Nathan Buckley are the most determined players I've ever seen on a training paddock. And the way they train is the way they play."

Inglis called Sunday night "unbelievable", and anyone else who witnessed his performance would not argue. His two tries couldn't have been any more different; grunt for his first and grace for the second.

"You would imagine I'll be there permanently," Inglis said. "But if another five-eighth comes along, I won't be there. I'll probably be in the centres, or somewhere … not the forwards."

He might be a rock star, but he's not rock hard just yet.

EVERY Tuesday, the Herald Sport team will announce our most outstanding Performer of the Week. The winner could be any Australian team or individual from a major sport. Readers will select the performers of the year by voting online in November. Until then give your feedback or selections each week on smh.com.au