Brad Fittler and Kevin Walters have told their players the onus is on them to avoid a penalty-riddled State of Origin series opener at the MCG on Wednesday night.

As promised by NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg in April, both coaches have been told the crackdown from the start of the season will carry into the Origin arena.

That will include a heavy focus on play-the-balls, the ruck and offsides, as well as regular use of the sin-bin if penalties persist.

Penalties are up by around 40 per cent this year across the NRL to more than 17 per game - a telling statistic given there were only 25 blown across the whole three-game Origin series last year.

Maroons coach Walters said it would be solely on his players to ensure the rise didn't translate into a stop-start Origin.