Sydney Roosters close in on new deal for veteran fullback and captain Anthony Minichiello Anthony Minichiello celebrates grand final victory. VETERAN fullback Anthony Minichiello's new one-year deal with the Sydney Roosters should be completed within days. It will be a welcome Christmas gift for the Roosters legend. Salary cap debate and Minichiello's World Cup campaign with Italy delayed the process longer than both parties had wanted. Minichiello will likely retire after the 2014 season, where his Roosters will attempt to win successive NRL premierships. There will be times during next season when winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck plays fullback, with Minichiello onto the wing. Minichiello will still retain the captaincy. He could become the first winger to captain an NRL side since Warren Boland with Western Suburbs back in 1980. Tuivasa-Sheck is recovering from a broken leg sustained in the World Cup when representing New Zealand. Minichiello, 33, has played 275 games over 14 seasons at Bondi. An injury-free season could see him pass the 300-game milestone. Asked recently if he was concerned about the delay in contract negotiations, Minichiello said: "I'm cool with it. I have a great relationship with the Roosters and I know it's being worked out, but it has to go through the right avenues and processes. The Roosters will start to shift through captaincy candidates for 2015. The early contenders are Mitchell Pearce, Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend. Friend has impressed senior Roosters officials in the past two years. Minichiello's wife, Terry Biviano, gave birth to their first baby, a healthy baby girl, earlier this month. Mitchell Pearce and Anthony Minichiello celebrate grand final victory.