Joseph said this week he was keen to continue with the Highlanders and would be discussing a new contract at the end of the season.
That could be as soon as next week, given the Highlanders play their final game tomorrow night against the Reds, followed by a bye next week.
They are a long shot for the playoffs and results will have to go their way for them to have any more games after tomorrow night.
Joseph is coming to the end of his two-year contract. But he does not intend to go anywhere else, and put off signing a contract until the season is over.
Players were in the same boat, Joseph said, and that meant the period after the season had finished was liable to be busy.
"Dealing with contracts is really difficult for me as a coach, when players want to talk about the same thing with their future. When I can, I want to deal with it at the end of the season," he said.
Joseph is also a candidate for coaching the New Zealand Maori team. The side last played in 2010 when he was in charge.
The Maori were scheduled to head to Europe at the end of the year but no coach had been confirmed.
Joseph said coaching the Maori side was something he would think about at a later date.
"I have not really thought about that. My mind has always been focused on this team. We have got another week we are sure of, and as soon as we are finished then I will start looking at those sort of things."
Highlanders general manager Roger Clark said good progress had been made with contracts over the past few weeks.
But the coaches and the team had wanted to concentrate on getting to the end of the season before finalising future deals.
He hoped to make an announcement on player and coach signings next week.
