Konrad Hurrell. Victim of Hysteria

Oh dear.  Social Media paranoia runs free.  Konrad Hurrell gets a $5,000 fine, sanctimoniously ordered to go to charity, for doing not a lot in particular.

First of all; say what you like about the video but it is anything other than explicit as has been reported.  It is also not a “SEX TAPE” as has widely been reported.  Both of those words are incorrect.

League has had so many scandals over the years, and a lot of these have involved the objectification, and worse, of women.  Often these have been brushed aside.  Here, Hurrell was playing around with a consenting adult.  With a woman who is older than him, and who was obviously a willing participant.  She is successful in her own right, so this was not taking advantage of his situation.

Where is the precedent in all of this?  Sione Faumuina was also once fined $5000 by the club, but that was after another issue of domestic violence.  The contrast could not be starker.

It is disrespectful to previous victims of previous acts of NRL related misogony to throw the book here.

Hurrell’s punishment does not end there.  He has been ordered to undergo Social Media Counselling.  Seriously, what does that even mean?

This is no Judith Collins moment; he did not post the link himself, and he has never said anything inappropriate himself on any of the Social Media platforms.  His lack of judgement was to send a video to a (presumably former) friend.  Once that happened it was out of his hands.

But the hysteria and ignorance about all things digital can get in the way of a bit of common sense.

As for the charity; let’s hope it is something related to Defensive Driving, because that was clearly his biggest crime.