"It's a challenge for franchises such as ourselves, but knowing the standard is going to be better is something that drives me to try to get WaiBOP United to be better as well."
WaiBOP United could have quite a different look to the squad this summer.
"We know we don't have the largest budget in the league and, given our relative success last summer, I'm fully aware that some of our players will be on the shopping lists of the premiership's big hitters," Smith said.
"That's life. My job is to build the best playing squad I can, with the resources available, and then create a culture within that squad that gets the players to work hard for each other. That gives us the best chance of picking up results."
Smith said he was optimistic of building the squad he needed.
"What I do know is that only a maximum of 14 players can make it on to the field for each team each weekend," he said. "With one team less involved in this season's ASB Premiership, that means there are 14 less spots available [for players].
"While we can't offer fat signing on bonuses, we can offer opportunities for good players to play, along with the chance to play at some first class venues within this region."
WaiBOP United have made some progress on the field during their first two seasons. The franchise was in the playoff mix at the business end of last season and aims to crack the top four during the coming summer.
