Smith has come under heavy criticism from several players and coaches for his overbearing nature when it comes to communicating with referees.

And Harrigan, who officiated 392 NRL games, 21 Origins and 10 grand finals, said he would not cop the Storm, Qld and Australian captain's antics under his watch.

“He’d be getting splinters sitting on the bench,” Harrigan said on Fox League’s The Matty Johns Show.

“Ten minutes.

"I like him as a player but he is just in your face too much and the referees let him get away with too much. You’ve only got to sit him down once and say ‘that will do you’.”

But Harrigan’s wrath was not confined to Smith with the former referees boss stating current referees boss Tony Archer should be stood down.

Fans are turning away from the NRL in droves citing disgraceful refereeing as their reason with countless wrong calls determining results.

Harrigan said the game had declined under Archer’s watch since he took up his role in 2013.  

“(I’d give him a) two or three (out of 10),” Harrigan said.

“The game over the last four years deteriorated. There’s no play the ball anymore. Kick chasers, blockers, kicking off- people offside, line drop-outs in front of the line.

“All the little one percenters have just gone. Scrums. We know they are not going to be a competitive scrum but you can make them look like a scrum and they don’t even look like that anymore.

“It’s all been under his watch.”