Colm O'Rourke says that something has to be done about what he deemed the "abuse of players" around the scheduling of the Sigerson Cup.
O'Rourke has had a positive start to his time in charge with back-to-back victories in Division 2 of the Allianz League, as they look to challenge favourites Dublin and Derry for promotion to the top flight.
But the Skryne man, who won a Sigerson as a player with UCD in the late 1970s, says the third level competition is having a negative impact on his squad's league campaign.
"The Sigerson Cup has dealt a heavy blow to our team," he said on RTÉ's Sunday Sport afterwards.
"Shane Walsh with a hamstring injury, Matt Costello having a hamstring injury, playing last Tuesday night after coming home from Cork - a long drive, a hard match, a very fast pitch - these are overuse injuries.
"This is disgraceful, the abuse of players with this Sigerson Cup. It needs to be put on at a different time of the year.
"We have six players tied up. They're not able to train with us at any of the time, and we had to take off Darragh Campion and Cathal Hickey today because we were concerned about the load on them.
"They played a match last Sunday, another game in Grangegorman on Wednesday night - which went to extra-time - and they were expecting to be playing today. Then they've a semi-final next week, so we took them off just purely for precautionary (reasons) because with two hamstring injuries it's a sign of overuse.
"I think it's absolutely disgraceful the way these players are being abused. Talk about player welfare; there's no player welfare in expecting lads to do that."
Pushed on when the Sigerson Cup could be played, he added: "It has to go into January, or else the league goes back two or three weeks in order to allow the Sigerson to be played.
"It is a great competition. I took part in it myself and won it with UCD but it was at a time when it never interfered with the county calendar.
"Now everybody is thrown into the month of February for everything. The second division is so important now because you can't be guaranteed a place in the All-Ireland unless you finish high up in the second division.
"So the stakes are very high for all the teams in the second division this year, much more than previously."
Éamonn Fitzmaurice and @leeroykeegan on the frustrations felt by inter-county managers concerning the timing of the Sigerson Cup #rtegaa #sigersoncup #AllianzLeagues pic.twitter.com/R6vFkuhhVM
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) February 6, 2023
Meath are currently level on points with Dublin and Derry, after hitting four goals en route to victory over Clare yesterday, and they're set to face the Ulster champions in their next game in two weeks' time.
Despite winning their first two games, O'Rourke said that there was plenty for his players to work on over the next two weeks.
"We got four goals but eight points generally won't win many games. You need double that in big matches.
"We're a bit disappointed by the performance, but very happy with the result. If somebody had to give us two from two after the first two games we'd have taken it, and not worried too much about the performance level.
"The goals covered up a multitude of flaws in our game."
