You cannot beat experience - the Highlanders are betting on it.
They have made half a dozen changes to the starting line-up for the match against the Hurricanes at Forsyth Barr Stadium tomorrow night.
Smith will leave a planet-sized gap at halfback, while out-of-form winger Naholo will spend the next six weeks contemplating what he needs to do to get back to his best.
Their absence, and the importance of the match, convinced coach Aaron Mauger he needed to beef up the side's experience.
The midfield has been overhauled. Thomas Umaga-Jensen and Sio Tomkinson are out and Tei Walden and Richard Buckman are in, while Rob Thompson has been named on a strong bench that includes All Black loose forwards Jackson Hemopo and Elliot Dixon.
Matt Faddes gets an opportunity on the right wing in Naholo's absence, and Kayne Hammington will attempt to fill Smith's boots.
Lock Josh Dickson replaces Pari Pari Parkinson and James Lentjes takes Dillon Hunt's spot on the side of the scrum.
Marty Banks retains the No10 jersey ahead of Josh Ioane.
The Hurricanes boast a threatening backline that includes the Barrett brothers, Ngani Laumape and powerful winger Ben Lam, so the decision to opt for the more experienced midfield pairing of Walden and Buckman makes sense.
''For this game it is,'' Mauger responded when asked if it was the Highlanders' strongest pairing.
''We feel it is the right mix. Obviously, they're experienced guys.''
''I'm really happy with the progress [of Umaga-Jensen and Tomkinson]. I think they've grown massively.
''If you don't give these guys a go, you don't know where they are at.
''But what we decided this week was to go with guys who have experience in a situation where we are going to need that.
''It is going to be another high-pressure situation against a good Hurricanes side.''
Time behind the wheel is also what helped Banks hold on to the starting role for another week.
''He slightly nudges Josh. But Josh brings a lot of spark off the bench and I'm sure he will do that later on towards the end of the game.''
Mauger suggested his side had not put enough trust in the game plan, so would look to play with more freedom this week.
''That means we can move the ball around and you'll see a few more smiles on the faces of our lads out there.''
Smith is usually key to that kind of intent. The speed at which he clears the rucks and can get the ball into the hands of the backs has created countless opportunities over the years.
''He certainly has some unique skills, namely around his speed and his pass. But Kayne is a great little competitor as well and he has performed for us every time. We expect him to do that from minute one this week.
''We need a big performance this week but that is what we expect every week. We've had five games this year and they've all looked pretty similar. We've been pretty close in all of them.
''We could easily be five from five but the fact that we're not means we've had a couple of things to work on and address, but they've only been small.''