BULLS captain Adrian Purtell believes Rohan Smith has a "great opportunity" ahead of him as he prepares to begin life at Odsal.

The 35-year-old new head coach is hoping to arrive in the UK over the weekend and attend Sunday's home game against in-form Swinton.

Smith has worked in various coaching roles at five NRL clubs and the Tonga national side, serving latterly with the Gold Coast Titans as Neil Henry's assistant.

Purtell said: "Rohan has been at quite a diverse range of clubs and certainly has an impressive resume. I'm sure he has gained a wealth of knowledge over the years, which can only be a good thing for Bradford.

"I've no doubt he will have taken a little bit from each club – but he will be his own man and look to make his mark. Coming here is a great opportunity for him to try and get us back to Super League."

Smith has been in touch with the Bulls' coaching and backroom staff and could hand opportunities to players who have previously been out in the cold in the coming weeks.

Asked whether Smith's arrival marked a clean slate for the players, Purtell said: "I think that's always the case when a new coach comes in. There are a few guys off contract and the guys who are staying will want to impress as well.

"You want to get off on the right foot and it is a clean slate for some guys. But we've still got a fair chunk of the season remaining, so everyone wants to play well anyway."

Matty Blythe and Lee Gaskell are set to return on Sunday but Mitch Clark and Kurt Haggerty serve one-match bans.