Gary Hetherington shows Leeds Rhinos' old rivals survival blueprint as fight to keep Bradford alive goes on

Last November marked the 20th anniversary of he and Paul Caddick, the multi-millionaire property developer, uniting to rescue Leeds from the brink, sparking the most successful period in their history.

The Rugby Football League board could announce as early as today which of the four bids they have approved to take over in Bradford after Bulls went into liquidation this month.

Whoever it is, Bradford – who won four Super League titles and three World Club Challenges before sliding to financial ruin under a succession of poor owners – will remain in the Championship, but start on minus 12 points.

Hetherington can see similarities with Leeds when he arrived at Headingley in 1996.

Admittedly still in Super League, he recalled: “Leeds were pretty much bankrupt; five and a half million in debt, with dwindling support and low morale while Bradford were the best and biggest club in the game. Twenty years later, fortunes have completely turned.

“Of course, the potential of Leeds was we knew we could make it a big club again; you’re never going to make Oldham a big club, or indeed a Wakefield.

“But Leeds had the potential to be a dominant force in the game and Bradford had been that.

“For the first 15 years they probably contributed more to Super League than any other club and you’d assume they could be big again. It clearly needs proper leadership, management and investment but it’s capable. The game needs them to, too.”

Rotherham Titans chief executive Richard Lamb and two New Zealanders – David Thorne and Andrew Chalmers – plus a mystery fourth bidder are thought to be in the running for the Bradford ‘franchise.’

Hetherington, of course, has helped turn Leeds into one of the sport’s biggest clubs with seven Super League titles, three Challenge Cups and a trio of World Club Challenges.

But would he recommend anyone taking on a club?

“It is a difficult one; you have to know what you’re doing and that’s not just being an expert in rugby league,” he added.

“In any business, for an owner to be successful, a lot is based on employing the right people, creating proper infrastructure, the right management and everything that goes with it. No one can do that on their own.

“Any individual or group that takes over Bradford has to have that ability or philosophy and then the investment to back it up.

“That’s what Paul and myself had; his company was big enough to take on the original debt, service that debt and reinvest another £1m into the change programme.

“That included buying Iestyn Harris and turning things around in a relatively short space of time, rebranding as the Rhinos etcetera. Do any of that at half-cock and ultimately you will fail. “

Castleford Tigers have released Ashley Robson from the remainder of his contract to join York for an undisclosed fee.