LEEDS Rhinos chief Gary Hetherington believes the Bulls have a great chance of winning promotion and is hoping they will so the clubs can renew one of the sport's biggest rivalries in Super League next season.

Derby matches between the West Yorkshire giants were a highlight of the calendar a decade ago as the two clubs battled it out for supremacy and silverware.

Bradford’s gradual decline culminated in a second administration in 18 months and relegation during a disastrous 2014 campaign, but Hetherington reckons the new structure offers them a realistic route straight back.

The Leeds chief executive told the T&A: “I think the concept which gives the Championship clubs a pathway into Super League is an outstanding one.

“A club like Bradford have got every opportunity to come back into Super League and become a major player in the game like they were only a matter of years ago.

“Unlike some Championship clubs, Bradford have got an infrastructure, a support base, a facility and a track record of being a leading club in the game in recent times.

“You would like to think that they could restore that and what we’ve seen from the new regime is that they have stabilised the club on and off the field.

“They look to be making real progress so I think every rugby league fan would like to see them continue making progress and ultimately getting back in Super League.

“Rugby league is littered with great rivalries and Leeds-Bradford is one of the biggest.

“It’s something to look forward to again in the years to come – maybe in the not-too-distant future.”

Hetherington has presided over a golden era at Headingley since he and Paul Caddick rescued the club from the brink of financial ruin in 1996.

He said of Bradford’s recent fortunes: “I’m only looking from the outside but they seem to have stabilised after so many difficult years of trauma during previous regimes.

“The fans will be relieved about that and they’ve got a team which plays attractive and successful rugby.

“The supporter base is obviously not as big as it was but is capable of being restored, so they have got the potential there.

“You would like to think the business community will rally round them as well, so I think their prospects are very good.

“But it’s a building process because they’re not suddenly going to become the best team in Super League overnight.

“No team can achieve that – it happens over a period of time and I think they’re going about it the right way.”

Hetherington also backed former Rhinos assistant and ex-Leeds Carnegie head coach Jimmy Lowes to guide the Bulls to promotion.

“There’s no doubt he’s capable of doing that,” said Hetherington.

“Jimmy had a very good preparation in terms of working with Tony Smith at Warrington and of course with Brian McDermott at Leeds Rhinos.

“He had a very thorough and outstanding period as an assistant coach, which stood him in very good stead when he became a head coach.

“On the face of it, he’s doing a very good job at Bradford.

“He has put together a team who are playing with a certain flair.

“They have had the occasional blip, as all teams do throughout the course of the season, and they have done it obviously on a budget but they have delivered a good outcome so far this season.

“At Headingley, Jimmy delivered a very good rapport with the players and he’s very forthright with his own views.

“He’s extremely focused on what he does and has a quiet determination to be successful.”