Joseph, who says he does not feel any more pressure, despite the team having yet to taste victory, said there was no way the Highlanders were going to throw in the towel.
They take on the Blues, who started well but have lost three straight games, in Auckland tomorrow night.
Joseph's side is bottom of the competition and needs a win badly to get its campaign under way.
That started with winning the physical battle and getting over the advantage line, he said.
''While our defensive statistics [last week] were quite high, our gain line and passiveness in the tackle was not up to the level required. That is about intent and fixing that. It is about getting into the physical fight and wining that,'' he said.
''If we win the physical battles then we are going to be a lot better in our games.''
Asked if more energy was needed from his forward pack, he said it was more about showing some fight.
''Fight - that is the word we have been using this week. The guys have to show a bit more ticker and a bit more fight with the ball in hand.
''If they haven't got the ball then get the ball back, so we can attack. There is no doubt when the backs have got some decent ball going forward they can break teams up. So that leaves eight players to do a job up front.
''When we do get across the advantage line, we are very hard to stop. When the opposition gets easily across the advantage line, they are very hard to stop. What I saw in that 15 minutes [against the Reds last week] was some very soft tries. That was very disappointing. If we hit our straps defensively, we complement the attack very well.''
Joseph said sides could get into the habit of losing but the way out of that was simply putting together an 80-minute performance.
''You look at our team, and why would you not have that self-belief? One for one, go through that team, look through that calibre - there is a lot of experience out there and they have just got to put a performance together.
''So far, we have put on a 50-minute performances and 60-70 minute performances and all of those games have gone down to the wire.''
He denied there was any need for radical changes.
''We'll try to keep it quite simple, really. If we make our tackles, get over the gain line, then we are going to go a lot better than we have.
''If we nail our opportunities then we'll be there. In the past few games we have started quite poorly, and against quality teams that makes it quite difficult.''
Tuiali'i was whistled in over Easter as a replacement for the injured Nasi Manu and Joseph said he had been playing well in Japan.
''It's nice to have his services. We have seen tapes of how he has been playing over there, albeit against the calibre of opposition, but he has been playing very well.
''You only have to look at the Brumbies next week and George Smith, who has been there [Japan] for three years and he looks like he has not lost a gallop.''
Joseph said local players had always had a look-in to gain selection and that had never changed.
He was impressed with the performance of Otago loose forward TJ Ioane last week, showing he could do the job at this level.
The Highlanders' starting side will be named today, with Tuiali'i likely to start and Jamie Mackintosh having his first run for the season, replacing an injured Tony Woodcock.
