Panthers superstar Nathan Cleary has been slapped with a Grade 3 charge for a dangerous throw, and will be sidelined for five weeks after taking the early guilty plea.

The Penrith superstar will return for the first week of finals.

Cleary made a public apology late Friday night after dumping Eels five-eighth Dylan Brown, and being sent from the field in the first half of Penrith’s defeat to Parramatta.

Cleary wrapped one arm around Brown’s waist and the other around a leg as he lifted him beyond the horizontal.

“Oh my goodness there is a problem,” Fox League commentator Dan Ginnane said.

That’s Dylan Brown that was flipped over like an omelette.

“That is a horrible tackle... thank goodness Brown is OK.”

Cleary immediately shook his head after the tackle and CommBank Stadium erupted with boos as he made his way over to referee Todd Smith.

“Hands are between his legs, you drove him into the ground — you’re off,” Smith said as he pointed to the sheds.

The boos from Eels fans quickly turned into cheers as one of the biggest names in the game — and Penrith’s most important player — was ordered from the field.

“Can you believe it? Nathan Cleary marched from CommBank Stadium,” Ginnane said.

“Those replays don’t get any prettier.”

Cleary took to Instagram late Friday night to apologise for the tackle.

“Massive apologies for tonight,” Cleary said. “Filthy at myself for such a dumb moment that let the boys and the fans down.

“I’m not about that, it was terrible technique and I need to be better.”

Shane Flanagan pointed out that Cleary’s hands being between Brown’s legs is a “definite no-no.”

Meanwhile, Panthers legend Greg Alexander conceded the send off was the right call.

“I think the ref’s hands were tied. It was a spear tackle, the bloke ended up on his head,” he said.

“The referee said hands between the legs, which they were, they’re the indicators the refs look for so I think the referee had no other option but to send Nathan.”

The Eels immediately capitalised off the Panthers being one-man down and ran in three tries before half time, including a double to Reed Mahoney, and a final try in the 77th minute.

Cleary’s suspension is the latest blow for the reigning champions, who were already without five-eighth Jarome Luai due to injury.