Aidan Guerra wants to win back the respect of his Roosters teammates following disastrous 2016

AFTER a difficult season in 2016, the only thing Aidan Guerra wants this season is the respect of his teammates.

Aidan Guerra during the Sydney Roosters training session at Kippax Lake oval, Moore Park. Picture: Gregg Porteous

IF Aidan Guerra’s brutal honesty about his own form last year is any indication of the motivation driving the Roosters in 2017, look out.

Guerra has challenged himself to win back the respect of his teammates, and the off contract 29-year-old hopes a move into the middle will help resurrect his career.

Long regarded as one of the toughest and most uncompromising forwards in the NRL, Guerra’s reputation took a beating last year.

He went from playing in all three State of Origins for Queensland to being dropped by his club.

Guerra admitted he has plenty to prove when he runs out against the Gold Coast on Saturday, and it’s not just about winning a new contract.

“It is important but there is sort of a few other factors there,” Guerra said.

Guerra is a free agent at the end of the season.

“Getting that respect back I suppose as a player and the rest will take care of itself.”

Asked whose respect he was after, he added: “The respect of my teammates. “That is the main thing I worry about.

“There is obviously other people’s opinions. But I think a bit of pride took a bit of a beating (last year).”

Guerra conceded there were times when he felt lost, and didn’t know why.

“I guess the negative performances just sort of gained momentum and it got a hold of me,” he said.

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“Although it is a very physical game, I feel that mentally some games I just wasn’t there.

“That is something I have addressed and I am working on fixing that this year because I don’t want to be that guy.

“I want to get back to being known as someone who is dependable. It wasn’t the most pleasant year for me.

“We were under a bit of stress there as leaders and for me I felt like the enjoyment sort of wasn’t there.

“While it was going on I was trying to fix it up but I think the off season really helped me. “I got a little bit more perspective on it all.”

The Queenslander will shift to lock in 2017.

Guerra and his fiancee Belinda had their first child last March, but he said the arrival of his little girl Olive Belle wasn’t the reason behind his drop in form on the field.

He conceded being a father gave him a different perspective on some things, but not football.

“There is no excuses, I am not looking to blame anything,” he said.

“It is just the way it was.

“Last year wasn’t the year for me and this year is a new season.”

With the powerful Sio Siua Taukeiaho set miss up to eight rounds with an ACL knee injury suffered late last year, Guerra revealed the plan was for him to take over at lock.

“We spoke about times when I was playing my best football and a lot of it coincided with me doing a bit of time in the middle,” Guerra said.

“Physically it is a lot of the same, it is just more high intensity.

“You don’t really get that rest sometimes when the ball goes away as you do on the edge.

“It is more a mentality thing to know you are out there to put the knuckles up and fight hard for the first however long you get in your stint.”