So you'd have him at 6 which means he has to play the full game and face a great deal of defence anyway. A hooker may do a lot of defence but as has been mentioned Smith avoids heavy traffic and that's why he lasts. Passing the ball from dummy half is hardly going to take it out of him. He has the passing skill and the nous to know which way to pass and whether to run. 5/8 is also a tough position and demands more range of skill and speed. No where to hide. He's shown year after year he cant get through the season playing that position...5 years in a row. And in those years the team he played with came 14th (Eels), 13th (warriors), 12th, 12th and 15th (Dogs). If those teams had considered him worthy of his pay and position he played he would have stayed. He's at Manly to fill a gap, a Croker role