AT times this week, Rohan Smith must have wondered what on earth he has let himself in for.

The Bulls boss applied to succeed Jimmy Lowes at Odsal in early May because he wanted to become a head coach.

It was a golden opportunity to make the step up, but just three months later and the Bulls have found themselves in the midst of yet another financial crisis.

All the talk swirling around the club this week has surrounded chairman Marc Green’s failure to pay his players and staff on time, although wages finally landed yesterday.

It has been a worrying period for everyone concerned, not least Smith, who moved his wife and young child over to the UK when he opted to quit the Gold Coast Titans and take the reins at Bradford.

This week’s saga was not what he signed up for, but the 35-year-old is looking at the bigger picture.

As an ardent rugby league man steeped in the game since childhood, Smith has seen his father Brian and uncle Tony – current head coach at Warrinton – similarly experience tough times as head coaches and come through the other side.

“What my dad and uncle have achieved has been awesome and they have had a lot of highs,” said Smith.

“They are well respected in the game and I think one of the reasons for that is because of how they have battled through adversity.

“Tony started off at Huddersfield and my dad has had tough times at a lot of clubs but seen those clubs through to bigger and better things.

“They are great sounding boards for me and that has been a good guidance for me as a young coach.

“I’ve had a couple of good chats with Tony and my dad and got some useful advice about how to go about things.

“Each situation is different and, without being in that club, you don’t 100 per cent know what’s happening.

“But they have been through some tough periods themselves so a few words of encouragement and guidance are always good.

“It’s not about me, though. It’s about the club and doing what I can to help the Bulls battle through this and hopefully we move onto bigger and better things in the future.”

There is no denying that life at Bradford is tough right now, but Smith remains focused on his longer-term goal of returning the club to Super League.

“That’s the intention,” said the Bulls head coach.

“I came here with the ambition and aspiration to put a plan in place to ensure the club is in a strong position for a long period of time.

“That’s what Tony has done, as has my dad in the places he has been to.

“It doesn’t happen quickly and obviously there is a bit of an obstacle at the moment, but it’s nothing that I’m not willing to fight through.”

Ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Whitehaven, Smith has fond memories of Cumbria from his uncle Tony’s playing days at Workington, when he lived above a fish and chip shop two decades ago and made his name in the English game.

Smith, who guided the Bulls to victory over Workington during the regular season, remembered: “I visited my Uncle Tony when he played up there.

“They were struggling at the time and I have a feeling I saw the Bulls play there and win, without playing that well. That’s my vague recollection.

“I was up in the Lake District last weekend and it’s a beautiful part of the world. Hopefully we can go to Whitehaven on Sunday and do the business.”