I think he needs to be played a bit wider.
He is too slow both in a straight line and laterally to be an edge forward - offensively AND defensively. To me he is almost a lock or nothing.
He should really be a benchie again, but I don't mind how Ivan is using him.
Ivan is using Smith to tackle for the 1st 15-20 and then injecting Patea - and it's working. He is giving Luron more minutes and trusting him more and more. At the current trajectory Patea looks set to become our true #2 prop. He'd almost be on track to become our #1 prop but Leota is really starting to rip in and show he is still a Top Dog.
I don't mind Ivan using Patea as our Spencer Leniu replacement, so in that context don't mind the role Smith is being given at the moment. It would be handy if we had a stronger runner though - just imagine if we'd somehow got Terrell May instead Paps to replace Fish. We'd be a far more dangerous side.