Mitchell Pearce stood down as Roosters captain

Mitchell Pearce speaks to the media during a press conference held in Surry Hills on January 29, 2016 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Mitchell Pearce has officially been stood down as Sydney Roosters co-captain and suspended from their leadership group as the NRL club considers what action to take next over his drunken Australia Day escapades.

The club will investigate how other similar incidents have been handled before announcing their final sanctions over the now-infamous video which showed Pearce simulating a lewd act with a dog.

"The board also noted that following the January 26 incident, Mitchell is entering his second month without training or involvement with the club," the Roosters said in a statement announcing his demotion.

Pearce met with teammates for the first time on Monday since returning from a month-long stint in a Thai rehab clinic.

New Roosters chief John Lee says Pearce's well-being remains the club's primary concern.

"On the basis of medical advice received by the club, and subject to the satisfactory assessment of his continuing rehabilitation, Mitchell will resume training at the club from Monday, March 7," he said.

Pearce has labelled himself the worst role model in the NRL and admitted he deserved to lose the co-captaincy.

"If I hadn't, I would have stood down anyway. The actions I was showing were against everything a captain should be doing," he told News Corp Australia.

However, the NSW Origin star doesn't believe his career should be over as a result of his actions, despite calls from NRL's women's advisor Catherine Lumby to rub him out of the game.

"What she said is right in the fact I have been educated and I haven't learnt my lesson to this point," he said.

"But I have just been to a rehab centre and I am taking ownership of my life.

"Right now, she can argue her point. But in time hopefully I can prove that wrong."

The 26-year-old also denied suggestions he is an alcoholic, instead admitting his problem is with binge drinking.

Pearce also revealed he had been at the house for approximately an hour before the video was filmed, and he did remember the majority of the night.

He has ruled out suing the man responsible for filming the act, and said he is unsure whether he had been set up to be embarrassed on video by the group.

-AAP