The integrity of the O'Byrne Cup has once again been called into question after Carlow withdrew from their fixture with Laois this weekend, owing to "sickness, injuries and Sigerson Cup commitments".
The match had already been rescheduled from midweek to this weekend because of inclement weather.
It's the third game of the competition that's been cancelled due to a team opting out of a game.
Two counties pulled out of fixtures earlier this week with their fate already secure from the group stage, including Mickey Harte’s Louth side.
Kildare, meanwhile, said they were unable to field a side for their game with Westmeath.
Offaly manager Liam Kearns has claimed the competition is "shot" as he hit out at teams not playing their scheduled games.
The Faithful County fulfilled their fixtures as they reached a semi-final with the Wee County this Sunday in Dowdallshill.
Kearns should have been on a high after an 0-11 to 0-08 win over Dublin.
However he said he was considering withdrawing from semi-final, citing Louth’s rest period during a hectic schedule for his side.
He claimed his side had picked up two or three injuries in last night’s fixture and now have to face Harte's men on Sunday.
Speaking to Clubber, the streaming supplier of the competition, he said: "To be honest with you, I wouldn’t mind dropping out of the competition at this stage
"We’ve had two hard games in four days. It will be a third game in eight days and our opponents have been sitting at home for the whole week.
"They withdrew from a competition here, they didn’t fulfil their last fixture. That’s the integrity of the competition shot as far as I’m concerned. If you enter a competition, you should have to fulfil your fixtures.
"They’re going to have a week of rest and we have had a very hard game here against Dublin and four days later we’re supposed to play them, and I believe it’s on in Louth as well. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a game too much for us."
Kearns has queried the calendar in the early season with every panel in the country affected by the Sigerson Cup and the league schedule set to be largely week on week.
He added: "They’re shoehorning games into January. The bottom line here is we’ve a load of guys playing Sigerson Cup and we’ve a load of guys trying to play pre-season competitions. What are the pre-season competitions about if you can’t play your best players?
"The reality is it’s 10pm, they’ll be out of here [Parnell Park] at 10.30pm. They might get a quick bite and then they have to make their way home and report to work tomorrow. Like, on a Wednesday night up to Dublin. Then they’re expected to go out four days later.
"The integrity of the competition is everybody should be treated the same. If Louth went and played a match tonight in wherever they were supposed to play, then fair enough, we’d both be going out playing in four days’ time having played a hard game in tough conditions. But they didn’t.
"That means now that all the advantages are with Louth. You can dress it up anyway you like; that’s the reality of it."
