Strachan is fuming over the poor start to the season (Pic: A Foster)

Hull Stingrays coach Rick Strachan has issued a stern warning to his team after just four games of the new Elite League season.

"If they can't be disciplined then they can't play here," he told BBC Radio Humberside sport.

"I told them no more silly penalties or you can't have a job here because you're hurting us."

The Stingrays have taken more penalty minutes than any other team in their opening four Elite League games.

The penalty count includes a 10-game ban to forward Rick Kozak after a double incident led to him being thrown out of the game at Nottingham.

As a hockey player you need to be a man and when you take a hard hit you have to suck it up. Until we get disciplined it's going to be tough on us Stingrays coach Rick Strachan

The Rays will appeal that suspension but after hitting penalty trouble again over the weekend when losing 6-1 in Cardiff and 4-1 at home to Belfast, Strachan was in no mood to pull his punches.

"We work hard but we just don't work smart. We try to make a big hit when it's not there.

"We get total control of the puck and we give it away but probably the biggest factor is we just take silly penalties.

"As a hockey player you need to be a man and when you take a hard hit you have to suck it up. Until we get disciplined it's going to be tough on us."

The Rays coach refused to blame his team's poor start to the season on referees and has called for his players to shape up or ship out just three weeks into the new season.