Skipper Randy Duck will urge his Brighton Bears teammates to step up a gear as they return to work today.

Bears lost to Chester and Thames Valley, arguably the best two teams in the country, at the weekend.

Both games saw them throw away any chance of victory with dismal second quarter showings.

Duck, who led a second half revival at Thames Valley, admitted: "We have got a lot of work to do this week. We have got to be mentally ready.

"There is no more talented team than us but it comes down to making the right plays at the right time, everybody being on the same page and being as a unit.

"If we put five guys out there who are together, we are hard to stop.

"I will be giving reminders. If we make mistakes in practice, I will say 'hey this happens in the game as well. We have got to cut that out'."

Coach Nick Nurse will also demand more from his players.

He said: "We've got guys who are veterans in this league and should be good players but they are not showing up to play."

Bears return to Thames Valley for a Trophy group match on Saturday.