GARY Hetherington was sat in the Evolution Suite at Old Trafford yesterday, penning the fixtures in his diary at the Super 8s media launch.

For the Leeds chief executive and his team there will be no return to the Theatre of Dreams for the Super League Grand Final in October.

There will be no battle with Bradford in the Qualifiers either after the Bulls failed to make the Championship’s top four.

On Saturday week, it is Featherstone rather than Bradford who will be hosting Brian McDermott’s side in a televised encounter on Sky Sports.

Leeds-Bradford derbies were once the highlight of the Super League calendar as both teams battled for supremacy at the top of the game.

Hetherington said: “Every Leeds supporter who has grown up with the great rivalry between the Rhinos and Bradford would have loved the two clubs to have locked horns again.

“A big crowd at Bradford would have revived all those great memories of the decade of exciting conflict that we had with each other.

“I know our fans would have relished the opportunity to go back to Odsal in numbers.

“It would have been on national television for the whole world to see the restoration of the Leeds Rhinos-Bradford Bulls rivalry.

“But alas, it is not meant to be. It’s gone now and there is no point calculating what you have missed out on.

“It’s better to focus on what you’re able to gain for the rest of the season.”

Bradford’s failure to make the top four has led to plenty of wailing and gnashing of teeth these past few days, but it is not all doom and gloom.

Hetherington added: “It is obviously a huge disappointment for Bradford, but I think it’s indicative of the progress that other teams have made and the increased competitiveness throughout the Championship.

“On a personal note, I want to see every club progress and achieve its full potential.

“There is no doubt that Bradford have got potential to be one of the leading clubs in the game, both on and off the field, as they once were.

“Clearly we do want to see them back where they belong and as soon as possible.

“However, things need to take a significant step forward if they are to become a realistic candidate to get back into Super League.

“It’s a painful time right now to be a Bradford Bulls fan and indeed for Marc Green, Steve Ferres and Robbie Hunter-Paul as well as everybody who works there.

“They are at a disappointing stage but experience tells me that things are never as bad as everybody else wishes to make them out.”

Bulls chairman Marc Green issued a lengthy statement of over 1,200 words on Tuesday night where he addressed numerous issues and spoke of his intention to keep the club a full-time operation.

Since Green took ownership of the Bulls in March 2014, the club have suffered relegation from Super League and are now preparing for their third year in the Championship.

Yet Hetherington said: “There wasn’t a queue of people prepared to take on what was a disastrous situation.

“Credit to Marc Green, who wasn’t from the rugby league fraternity but stepped forward with his wife and took on a really difficult challenge.

“They have made some real off-field progress in the past couple of years.

“That has not shown on the field and they clearly need to become more competitive if they to challenge to get back into Super League.

“But sport is the great unknown in that is offers so much excitement and opportunity to fulfil one’s ambition.

“At the same time it throws up so many disappointments as well.

“Clearly, Marc has found it pretty tough so far, as indeed all of his staff have.

“This is a particularly dark time for the club but I can tell you now it’s not as dark as people are predicting.

“Provided they continue to go in the right direction, things will improve.

“I know from past experience that there is a lot of satisfaction to be had from leading a club like Bradford back into the promised land.

“As long as there is a belief that Bradford can restore themselves in the short to medium term, then there is a lot to look forward to.”

Hetherington does not foresee a change in the structure of the game any time soon, despite fears that Super League fears could effectively become a closed shop for Championship clubs.

The Headingley supremo said: “I think the new structure has been a terrific success which has actually revitalised and created interest at the top and bottom of the competition and in Super League too.

“I have been to games at Batley and Halifax recently and witnessed the raw emotion because of what was at stake.

“Yes, being in these middle eights is not where we at Leeds Rhinos want to be but we are going back to Featherstone for the first time in 16 years.

“I am told we have not played Batley since 1979... I played in that game for Leeds and it was 37 years ago!

“There was the old-fashioned version of the top Championship side getting promoted, but Super League doesn’t want a Championship side in Super League unless it can add value.

“The current system provides the perfect opportunity for a team over seven games to show they are worthy of coming into Super League at the expense of someone else.”