Court cases for two younger males claiming sports potential as justification for leniency after serious offences against other people raise issues well beyond many of raised during this week.
Wellington rugby hopeful Losi Filipo, in court for a street attack on four people, and Flaxmere boxing-trainee Christopher Sio Talivaa, for an unlawful affair which had his girlfriend pregnant, aged 15.
Filipo, 18, in court for the first time and with established career potential, Talivaa seven years older, with established court history for violence and a sports career more a pugilistic dream than reality.
A similar outcome, neither going to jail. But Filipo does some voluntary service to the community, and escapes conviction, for now, while Talivaa is convicted, home detention and community work to follow.
Courtroom attempts to keep young people out of jail are common - 1925 people were discharged without conviction in the year to the end of June for acts intended to cause injury.