MATT Ryan was left in a state of shock after swapping a survival bid at Wakefield for a promotion challenge at Bradford.

On July 20, the imposing Australian back-rower was ushered out of the door at Belle Vue to make way for new signing Bill Tupou.

Two days later, he was unveiled as a Bulls player.

Ryan was taken aback by the turn of events, but he is not complaining.

“It was a very weird week for me because I got released by Wakefield and then a couple of days later I was lucky enough to get a deal with Bradford,” said Ryan.

“I don’t really know what happened at Wakey as I had pretty much been playing all the games, and some big minutes too, so it came as a shock.

“Luckily my agent was over here at the time, so I said ‘just try and find me something’ and Wakefield were very helpful too, saying they would put a good word in for me if required.

“I don’t hold any grudges whatsoever towards Wakefield and am delighted to be here at the Bulls.

“Bradford are a famous club back home in Australia and have been going well in the Championship this year.

“I jumped at the opportunity to come here and hopefully help them get promoted to Super League.”

Ryan’s arrival at Odsal reunited him with a few familiar faces from his time at Parramatta, while Harry Siejka was a team-mate at Wakefield last term.

A visa delay denied Ryan the opportunity to make his debut at Halifax in the final round of the regular season but he could feature in Sunday’s Super 8s opener at home to Sheffield.

“They’re a really good bunch of lads here and the atmosphere is great, so it has been a pretty easy transition,” said 27-year-old Ryan.

“I’ve played a few games with Etu and Jake Mullaney at Parramatta and with Harry at Wakefield last year.

“It’s good to know a few guys when you walk into a changing room but all the other boys have been great as well.

“Jimmy has got the boys in the right mindset and I could tell how positive the atmosphere was when I walked in here.

“We’re all trying to help each other and the competition for places is fierce, which is only going to make us better.”

Sydney-born Ryan, who stands well over 6ft and can play in the centres and the back row, is confident of making his mark in the coming weeks.

His contract runs only until the end of the season but he is hoping to help the Bulls to promotion and earn an extended deal.

Ryan admitted: “That’s the dream scenario. I’ve really enjoyed the past couple of weeks under Jimmy’s coaching and I would love that to happen.

“But I can’t concentrate on next year and need to take things week by week.

“I think it’s my utility factor that appealed to Bradford as I can play in the forwards and the backs, which helps in these type of games.

“I’ve pretty much played in the back row all this year but I enjoyed my time in the centres as well.

“Jimmy has said that he’s not going to guarantee me a spot because you’ve got to train hard to earn it.

“That’s what I’m liking about Bradford – there is so much competition for places and the skill levels in training and enthusiasm have been outstanding because everyone wants to play in these games.”

Having been part of a Wakefield side who have grown accustomed to losing, Ryan is hoping to become part of a winning Bulls team.

“I think there’s a lot of talent in all the teams in the Super 8s,” he said.

“It will be a tough competition but any team on their day can win.

“It’s about having the right mindset and Jimmy has drilled into us that we can’t rely on one person to win it for us; we’ve all got to be in on it together.

“It’s a new competition for everyone, so nobody really knows what’s going to happen.

“On their day, I’m sure anyone can win a game of rugby.

“It’s just about who shows up with the right attitude and who wants to work hardest for each other.

“This Bradford team are a tight-knit bunch of boys and they’re not going to let each other down.

“We’re lucky to have Lee Gaskell available again and Jake Mullaney has that NRL experience, so it’s great to have these guys coming back.

“I think we have a big chance in a lot of these games, if not all of them.”

This weekend Ryan is hoping to run out at Odsal , a ground where he scored twice for Wakefield last season.

He added: “I’ve watched some of the highlights from the recent Leigh game and the crowd was outstanding.

“To make my debut in front of that kind of atmosphere is once-in-a-lifetime kind of stuff.

“It would be good to make a winning start and get a roll-on because it’s all about confidence. If you get your confidence up, the games become easier.”