Cronulla skipper Paul Gallen has played down a controversial off-the-ball slinging tackle on Parramatta hooker Isaac De Gois.

Gallen has received some belated negative attention for the unpenalised and blatant late tackle from behind, where he grabs the Sharks No.9 by the collar and slings him to the ground some two metres off the play.

The incident occurred in the Sharks’ NRL win over the Eels on Saturday, with the tackle labelled “cynical” and “unsportsmanlike” in the media.

Sharks enforcer Gallen has escaped sanction from the match review committee, which reportedly believes there was not enough force to warrant a charge.

“There’s no issue because it was right in front of the referee and there was no penalty,” Gallen told Sky Sports Radio on Tuesday.

“There was nothing in it.”

Veteran NSW forward Gallen took aim at the media for “having a crack at me personally” over the persistent reporting of the incident.

Parramatta back-rower Tepai Moeroa said he would have taken issue with the tackle on-field had he witnessed it.

“It’s definitely not a good sight, and that’s the sort of stuff you don’t want in the game. There’s no need for it,” he told News Corp.

“I would have definitely got in there (if I had seen it).”