Joseph said the side had really dug in at the end and refused to concede defeat.
"There are always things to work on but you had to admire the tenacity and the defensive effort out there," Joseph said.
"A lot of our young players made mistakes out there under pressure but the good thing is that we won and that can really help a young player in the long run.
"It is big for the Highlanders to get this win. They're been in similar situations in previous years and have not come away with the win. It is important for the team. We know we won but there is a lot more to do and to work on."
Joseph was pleased with the endeavour shown by his forward pack and the ability to get into the Hurricanes and not let them settle on any pattern.
"It was a scratchy game but I think that was a reflection on how close the teams were."
Halfback Jimmy Cowan said the win would do the team a lot of good.
"It's been a tough two or three years for this franchise. We've been a good side for 40 to 50 minutes and we have not been quite able to finish off.
"I could feel we were getting quite frantic in the last 10 to 15 minutes and we did some silly things and at this level you can't afford to do them. I know we got away with it tonight but we can't keep doing that going forward.
"It's good to get off to a good start and have some points in the bank. We have done a lot of work over the last six weeks in the training field and that really helped us tonight."
Cowan praised the loose forward trio in front of him and he had no doubt they would make a big impact this season.
