It is a matter of when, not if, Mitchell Pearce will be seen in a NSW jersey again, according to Sydney Roosters great Anthony Minichiello.

Named on Monday to take over the club captaincy alongside Jake Friend for the 2015 NRL season, Pearce was dumped last year from the Blues after a nightclub incident which also saw him fined $20,000 and sidelined for a Roosters game.

Rooster boosters: Former and current Roosters captains Jake Friend, Mitchell Pearce, Anthony Minichiello, Braith Anasta, Craig Fitzgibbon, Luke Ricketson and Brad Fittler at Allianz Stadium. Credit:Fairfax Australia

Minichiello said subsequent to his axing, Pearce had transformed himself into the ultimate professional and that attention to detail was the reason he was backing his former teammate to return to representative colours.