FRONTING up to the media after losing is never easy for the coach, and the Lions' Dick Muir, has had plenty of practice of that this year.

FRONTING up to the media after losing is never easy for the coach, and the Lions' Dick Muir, has had plenty of practice of that this year.

Though obviously disappointed about suffering another loss to the Sharks on Saturday, to make it nine from nine, Muir put on a brave face and is already looking forward to the coming weekend's clash with the Bulls.

"The Bulls are a great side and we've seen what they have produced on tour. It will be a major challenge for our guys but they must front up," Muir said.

"We will obviously analyse their games and have a close look at how they are playing. One thing is for sure, there will be no shortage of motivation come Saturday."

Reflecting on the loss to the Sharks, Muir's comments basically reflected what he had said the previous week when losing to the Reds.

A slow start when conceding two soft, early tries and a defence that loses its structure too often are obvious points that will be worked on during this week.

"We are making progress but the result is still not there. This week we decided to play a bit differently and run a bit more. We created a lot of opportunities which we didn't finish, which was frustrating," the coach said.

The freedom the players were given worked at times, with Michael Killian in the unfamiliar role of right wing having another impressive outing. The extra leeway also benefitted Carlos Spencer, who looked more at home with this style of play.

"Some sides have been in the same position as us and when they got the win they went on from there," Muir said.