ROHAN Smith has immediately begun assessing his squad as he bids to turn the Bulls into serious promotion contenders.

The new head coach formally began in the post on Monday morning and was introduced to the media for the first time yesterday.

Last night also saw him address supporters at a fans forum where it was revealed that homegrown hooker Joe Lumb has signed a new three-year deal.

Managing director Steve Ferres confirmed the club’s search for a scrum half was intensifying and Smith will seek to utilise his wealth of contacts to find that elusive number seven.

Smith said: “I spent a good chunk of this morning viewing footage of the guys who are off contract here at the end of the year and getting my head around the current roster of players.

“I worked with or under probably half a dozen of the current NRL coaches, so there is a great network there, and I’ve got a good relationship with a lot of player managers (agents) back home.

“I’ve been in discussions with them, let them know where I’m heading and to keep their phone on.

“My Uncle Tony and other people around the game, who I’ve kept in touch with during the past ten years since I left London, are also part of my network.”

Key men such as Danny Addy, Lee Gaskell, Dale Ferguson and Mitch Clark are all out of contract at the end of the season.

Asked about keeping the club’s best players, Ferres said: “We’ve got to prove that our aims match their aims.

“We want Super League football and so do they, so if we can demonstrate that or we can get there, then I think they will still be with us.

“It’s well documented that we are in search of a half-back.

“We’re not going to deny that, obviously, but there is no panic and Rohan needs to assess what we’ve got and we’ll take it from there.”

Bulls chairman Marc Green said: “We only had one goal at the start of the season and that was going one step better than last year and hopefully in one game less.

“Ideally, I don’t want to have to go through the drama of the Million Pound Game.

“But if you said to me now ‘your only route up is through that game’ then obviously you take it.

“On Sunday, Steve, Rohan and I had a chat and Rohan asked me what the aspirations for the season were.

“I gave him two answers. The first was to get us to the best we can achieve this year.

“The second was to raise the players to his standards rather than allowing his standards to be compromised by what we’ve got or the quality of the game here. Our aspirations haven’t changed.”

Smith is looking forward to taking charge of his first game away to Sheffield on Friday and will also attend the Magic Weekend in Newcastle.

He added: “I’m a ‘rugby league head’ so I can watch the game all day and am looking forward to watching Championship and Super League.

“It’s different to the NRL, that’s for sure, but the biggest thing for me coming to England is the skill level across the board, and the freedom that the Bulls players certainly play with.

“There is always room for improvement but the most pleasing aspect of the Swinton performance was the intent to take it the opposition physically.

“Obviously there was a lot of skill involved but there was also aggression and that’s what we’re looking to bring more of on a weekly basis.”