The 33-year-old is chasing a one-year extension in the Victorian capital keeping him at the club to until the end of 2019.

Lockyer currently stands as the most capped NRL player with 355 appearances.

Smith has played 334 ahead of Sunday’s NRL Grand Final against Cronulla.

Should he play on until 2019, he would likely set a record never to be rivalled.

The 2019 season will be his 18th in the NRL.

Smith is the most capped Maroon with an astonishing 39 matches, and with the Australian captain keen to keep his rep career alive, he could well play 48 matches for his state.