I didn't say that it was wrong to visit the url directly, I was just hoping that the page returned(after visiting the url) would return "something"(a PO: ex EventDetail) so that the test in continuous and we don't need to instantiate Objects __in the test__ at every step.
Moving from one page to another(hence from PO to PO) is what a user would do, visiting url in the middle on a test kinda "breaks" the continuous actions a user would do.
I only recommend visiting urls directly if there is no other access way to that page, or if the test case requires it(and even then it is arguable)
This is just my point of view, which in its turn can be argued :)