Anointed as a new NRL star, Aidan Guerra has come a long way since his ruptured spleen suffered in a schoolboy match went undiagnosed for three days.

Sydney Roosters forward Guerra has been one of the standout players in the 2010 season start, drawing comparisons with legends Brad Clyde and John Cartwright after scoring three tries in his first two matches to help his team to the top of the ladder.

However, things could have been very different for Guerra after doctors initially failed to realise he ruptured his spleen in a Year 11 schoolboy game for Ignatius Park College in Townsville in 2004.

His school coach Kristian Woolf, said it was a terrifying ordeal.

"He was in a bad way, he didn't play footy for 12 months. It would have been a fairly scary experience for himself and his family which it was for me as his coach," said Woolf of an injury where blood leaks into the abdominal cavity, requiring surgery.

"When he first came off he thought he was winded and we did too...it was only his reactions afterwards that made us think it was something a bit more serious...he actually went pale faced and started getting cold so we rang an ambulance and he was in a pretty bad state."

Guerra says the ordeal was far from over after that first trip to hospital.

"I went off and got an ultrasound and they sent me home and told me to take Panadol and Nurofen and that nothing was wrong with me," Guerra recalled.

"Three days later I was still having sleepless nights so mum took me back to the hospital and it showed I'd ruptured my spleen.

"If I was going to drop dead I probably would have done it before they actually diagnosed me, so lucky for me it didn't get that serious."

Coming back to the game after a whole year out, Guerra was picked up by Melbourne. But his opportunity of making the NRL was almost extinguished again by four successive surgeries on his left ankle while at the Storm.

The rangy, ball-playing backrower saw a brighter future at the Roosters and signed on for 2010. Upon hearing this, Melbourne banished him from representing the club.

" I had some good friendships down there and that's what footy is about and to be told you can no longer play with the people who have been your best mates for two years it was pretty difficult," he said.

"But it's done and I'm living life as a Rooster and loving it.

"There was times there when I didn't think I'd come through the other side. I was almost ready to throw in the towel.

"I wish I was injury free (in Melbourne) but that's not the case and I guess I've matured.

"Now I've made my debut I just want to hold the jersey and make it mine."

Former Melbourne team-mate Michael Crocker played a big part in helping Guerra overcome the mental scars of injury.

"He still doesn't realise how good he could be," says Crocker.

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