Manly five-eighth Kieran Foran has told his firebrand team-mates to improve their discipline if the Sea Eagles are to make an impact in the NRL in 2011.

The 20-year-old showed his leadership qualities, acknowledging some of Manly's highest-profile players needed to temper their play because the team needs them on the paddock not the sideline.

Manly limped into last season's finals series with a patched-up squad, decimated by injuries but also with two big holes caused by careless suspensions.

Centre Steve Matai's late, high shot on Canterbury hooker Michael Ennis consigned the Kiwi centre to a seven-match suspension that will rule him out until round five this season.

One week earlier, backrower Glenn Stewart was also hammered by the judiciary, who slugged him with a four-week ban for striking Roosters skipper Braith Anasta.

And Foran says the team can't afford to have so much talent sitting in the stands.

"We just shot ourselves in the foot with all of that," Foran told AAP on Wednesday.

"If we cut back on that stuff, and we have some luck with injuries as well, I just think we'll be able to put our best foot forward and who knows what can happen from there?

"Steve (Matai) is an aggressive player, and he's my favourite player in the team because I love playing with him on my side of the field because he just hits everything that is coming my way.

"But injuries and suspensions particularly let us down last year, and that's something we needed to fix this off-season."

Foran admits that Manly failed to live up to their own expectations in 2010, despite making the finals for the sixth consecutive season.

"I think we are capable of a lot more than we showed last year, I think we're better than that (eighth position)," he added.

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