Smaill, the former Dunedin club rugby referee, is part of the officials panel at the Rugby League World Cup in England.
Appointments are done round by round, and he was reserve for two tests (France v Greece, and Wales v Cook Islands) in the first round, and has two gigs (reserve for Kiwis v Jamaica, touch judge for Tonga v Wales) in the second.
It is another highlight in a whistle-blowing career that has taken off in recent times.
Smaill works for the Rugby Football League in England as the match officials business manager.
It had been a "breakthrough season", he told the Otago Daily Times in an email this week.
He became an established referee in the Championship, the RFL’s second tier, backed by coaches Steve Ganson, Julian King and Dave Elliot, and made his Super League debut in the final round, controlling St Helens v Toulouse.
Smaill had "absolutely no regrets" about switching from rugby to league nine years ago.
"Rugby league has taken me all over the world to places from Australia to Canada, France, Greece, Thailand and the UK," he said.
"The life and family I have in the UK would not have been possible without rugby league.
"I do, however, miss refereeing Dunedin club rugby and spending time out at Peter Johnstone Park."
Smaill’s links to home inspired him to give son Teddy (18 months) the middle name Taieri, after his home and the rugby club.
Smaill got his grounding in Dunedin under the tutelage of Otago rugby refereeing guru Jim Thomson.
He left in 2013 and had three seasons in the New South Wales rugby league system before heading to England, from where his wife hailed, in February 2017.
The long-overdue Rugby League World Cup was a huge opportunity, not just for himself and other referees but the whole code, he said.
"The organisers have tried to find a balance between the traditional heartlands of Yorkshire and Lancashire while taking some games to Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Coventry and a semifinal at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.
"The legacy of the tournament is crucial for the sport to succeed in the future here in the UK and they have pushed funding to multiple clubs and communities across the country as part of the RLWC Legacy Fund."
In a neat piece of symmetry, two referees who were both fresh-faced on the Dunedin club rugby scene will be on international duty in the UK.
While Smaill performs roles at the Rugby League World Cup, James Doleman is lined up to control the rugby test between England and Japan at Twickenham on November 12, and will also be an assistant for Scotland-Fiji (November 5) and Ireland-Australia (November 19).
"We were good friends," Smaill said.
"I love seeing how well James and Ben O’Keefe have progressed in their rugby union careers.
"They are two great blokes who have worked extremely hard to achieve such a high level of success."
