Widnes coach Denis Betts called for the return of the licensing system after watching his side take a significant step towards retaining their Super League status.
The licensing system, introduced to enable clubs to lay solid foundations by guaranteeing their top-flight status for at least three years, was ditched in 2014 to make way for the return of promotion and relegation via the radical Super 8s format.
Hull KR became the first victims of the system last October when they lost the controversial Million Pound Game to Salford while Leigh and Catalans Dragons are in danger of treading a similar path this time after winning just two of their four Qualifiers so far.
"I'm not sure why this competition's here," said Betts, whose Vikings team eased their relegation worries with a 24-8 over Leigh at the Sports Village. "Leigh need time - we were given three years."
The Centurions, who gained promotion thanks to the new system last year, won six of their 23 games in the regular season on their return to Super League but now face the threat of an immediate return to the Championship, which Betts believes is unfair.
"Leigh and Widnes are two really good clubs who deserve to be in Super League," he said. "You can't recruit, you can't get sponsorship, you're struggling to get players out there because of how hard the season has been.
"We've put ourselves in a situation where the game's not strong enough to take it. We haven't got enough teams to create one competition let alone three.
"You've got to look at the sides in the Championship and what they're doing. Do Featherstone want to be a Super League side? Are Halifax able to? Can London?
"Definitely Hull KR can and Leigh have shown they're a Super League side. But you've got to give the Super League sides the right to stay there. Give Leigh a licence for three years and say develop all these kids playing around here.
"You can invest in that. We are not developing the game, we're not enhancing the game.
"I haven't seen a good game in this competition. I've seen some hair-raising games and some jeopardy and people a bit fearful. But I haven't seen a good game
"People seem to like it because the X-factor mentality seems to rule the world. Everyone wants to see who dies - not who lives."