Phil Rothfield: NRL boss Dave Smith needs to listen to unsatisfied fans and lift his performance It's time for NRL boss Dave Smith to stop and listen to the fans. DAVE Smith has driven club memberships in rugby league harder than anything else to build the code's fan base for the future. Now it's time to stop and listen to them. An alarming number of members and fans who took part in Monday's online survey are not happy about the way the game is being administered or the integrity unit. They also want more rugby league experience in key jobs. It's okay to brush aside criticism from clubs as "that's always going to be the case" but ignoring the belief and opinions of thousands of fans is downright dangerous. The people who make rugby league are the fans. Without them there is not a game. And their message is loud and clear. Lift your game Mr Smith. Originally published as Buzz: Listen to the fans, Dave