However, McLeod has not yet put pen to paper to remain as the assistant coach for the team as rumours swirl over whether he will be following head coach Jamie Joseph to Japan.
Ever since word spread late last year that Joseph was heading to Japan there had been suggestions he would be taking some of his coaching staff with him.
Assistant coach Tony Brown has signed for next year while McLeod is still working through with Highlanders management a deal for 2017.
At the moment, McLeod, the defence coach for the franchise, is concentrating on what is next on the agenda and it is does not come much bigger than a match against the Hurricanes in Wellington on Friday night.
The game has been labelled the "rematch'' by the Hurricanes marketing people but McLeod said any talk of the game being a replay of last year's final was not being taken up by the Highlanders and the players.
"We've not talked about the final. And so it shouldn't be as we are sixth and seventh. If we were both top of the table then maybe it would be talked about,'' McLeod said.
"There is a point's difference between both teams. Both teams will be hungry. I think that is how both of us are playing at the moment.''
Both teams had the bye last week but the Highlanders did not have a week off.
They trained three days last week as the side tried to keep momentum going following its two excellent wins over the Chiefs and then the Crusaders.
Coming off the two great victories, the Highlanders have now run into a bye and will then have more than a month off the paddock as the season stops for the test window.
McLeod said the side was progressing and it would have been good to keep playing.
"We are learning about our game still. We are building slowly.
"It is nice to look after some niggles but you get the excitement of the game and keep it going.''
One aspect of the game the Highlanders need to work on is the starts of matches.
Against both the Chiefs and the Crusaders the Highlanders were slow out of the blocks.
"We got put under a hell of a lot of pressure against the Chiefs and the Crusaders, mainly at the start of those games. Just the momentum they got and the line breaks they were able to do.
"So we have to shore up our defensive line a little bit more. To be able to put some early pressure on teams and not have to soak up as much.''
Issues with injured players appear to be on the improve with co-captain Shane Christie the only definite non-starter this weekend as he is yet to get over a hamstring injury.
Prop Daniel Lienert-Brown missed the game against the Crusaders with sickness but is fine now.
Halfbacks Liam Howley from Southland and Te Aihe Toma from Bay of Plenty are training with the team but neither has been called in on a fulltime basis as a replacement for the injured Josh Renton.
Midfield back Jason Emery returns from suspension but is unlikely to get called back into the starting team.
