Joseph wants team to rediscover edge.

Jamie Joseph, who was officially named as the coach of the side yesterday, said in a rugby sense, it was not a hard decision to move to the Highlanders.But off-field matters made it a tough choice, although once his family was in "boots and all", he knew it was a no-brainer.He also said there appeared to be something wrong within the Highlanders side as it lost so many close games.He had been widely tipped to take over from Glenn Moore and it was finally confirmed by the Highlanders and the NZRU yesterday.An assistant coach to join Joseph was not declared yesterday but it is expected within the next few days that Southland co-coach Simon Culhane will join his former All Black team-mate in a new management team next year.Jamie Joseph, the former All Black said he was excited about the challenge and returning south."Dunedin and the South, with Southland, are proud rugby provinces. They gave me something as a person and I learnt my trade down there, learning lots about life from the likes of Laurie and Gordy [former Otago coaches Laurie Mains and Gordon Hunter]," he said."Otago provincial rugby in recent years has not played as well as they have played previously. Dave [Latta] and Phil [Mooney] have got a massive job on their hands to get the team back up to being what they should be and develop the players to being the best they can be, wanting them to be professional athletes and perform at their best."If I can help do that then I will help out as much as I can."Joseph studied at the University of Otago.He stayed in the South for eight years before he left to coach and play rugby in Japan.He said as an outsider looking in, there appeared to be something wrong with the make-up of the Highlanders.He said,"I think there is some discord within the team. You can see that when they lose so many tight games. There is an edge missing. That is something we really need to sort out."With the Highlanders finishing as the bottom New Zealand side in Super rugby competitions over the past six years, getting wins is the first priority for Joseph. Highlanders chairman Ross Laidlaw said the franchise could not think of anyone better to be head coach."We all know how hard he played the game and we don't think he has changed his approach in coaching," Laidlaw said.He felt Joseph would do a good job in breeding a culture and identity for the Highlanders.Joseph said it took a while to decide upon the position, though the Highlanders had identified their man at an early stage."Obviously, we need somewhere to sleep and things like that. As a rugby decision, it was pretty straightforward because it is a higher level of rugby and in many ways I wanted to return to the South at some stage," Joseph said.He also said,"But I've got four children and an established business and and I'm contracted with a team which is just about to start the season, so it was difficult."But the family are in boots and all and I couldn't do the job without the support of my family. Once they were on board it was all go."