There were rumours smith and croft didnt get on wasnt there? With smith being the dominant/game managing player in the team, it would have been very hard for a young game managing half to demonstrate his full skillset.
He showed glimpses of being a really good player and did an apprenticeship under cronk. He was dropped not because of poor form but because papenhuyzen has been a gun, and jerome hughes can play in the halves because smith is the game manager.
Dearden, SOS and paix are still very young and have a lot to learn. Do we want them learning them lessons in first grade? Where these lessons could be costly on games?
If croft fit within the cap (which i think unlikely), i think he would be a handy pick up. Particularly if bird left, that would mean we wouldnt have two very inexperienced halves in the starting spine.
1. Milf/bird
6. Milf/bird
7 . Croft
9. Turps
Looks like a spine capable of a premiership in the next couple years.