Joseph, who was wrapped up to protect himself from the elements on a bitterly cold training day at Logan Park yesterday, said the stadium was sitting there not being used.
"It really has hampered our ability to prepare properly.
"We play on carpet and great surroundings but we train in the mud and sludge," he said.
"We have got a lovely facility which we have not been able to utilise, which is disappointing.
"At the start of the year we could train there.
"That made a huge difference.
"And you might remember at the start of the year we won every game, so there is a wee bit of a synergy there."
The Highlanders are allowed a captain's run on the stadium on the day before the game - for about an hour - and have also had spasmodic trainings on the ground.
"In Dunedin, when we came into the winter months there was just an assumption by myself that we would have a lot more access to the stadium than we have had, which is personally disappointing.
"I don't know the reason why."
Training on wet, muddy grounds and then playing on different surfaces was tough on players' bodies, Joseph said. The side had spent time training on the hockey turf at Logan Park.
He said one of the selling points to get players to Dunedin was the stadium, yet "they only get to see it seven to eight times a year".
He was aware there was a commercial deal between the New Zealand Rugby Union and the stadium, but as a coach, he was not privy to it.
"At the end of the day we are talking about footy training.
"We are not selling tickets to that ...
"We are trying to make that stadium our fortress so we can win, and if we are winning, people are coming to the stadium and that is good for us and everyone."
Dunedin Venues Management Limited operations manager Coryn Huddy said the Highlanders had already used the stadium more for training than their contract allowed.
The stadium had let the Highlanders train for 14 more hours than the contract agreed between DVML, the Highlanders and the NZRU.
He said training on a ground did a lot more damage than playing a game. With the limited daylight hours in winter, the grass had to be treated carefully.
"It would just have no grass on it if you trained on it every day," Huddy said.
The ground will host three games in as many days this week, starting today with the First XV clash between Otago Boys' High School and King's High School, then the Super 15 game between the Highlanders and the Chiefs tomorrow, and a club game on Saturday.
Huddy said community activities on the pitch were given a priority over commercial activities in certain periods.
With the test looming between the All Blacks and Springboks on September 15, the pitch had to be in tip-top condition for that fixture.
