LABOR frontbencher Anthony Albanese's "last shot in the locker" leadership tilt could be dead in the water after Bill Shorten's election performance.
Senior Labor sources have confirmed Mr Albanese's supporters have already canvassed him to run in recent weeks, but he had brushed aside the question until after the election. 
But the prospects of Mr Shorten being able to fend off a challenge was rising last night as he took Labor closer than most expected.
His backers were confident last night that Mr Albanese would be under pressure not to stand in the interests of party stability if Labor recorded a respec-table result.
"I think there would be a strong case for there to be no contest. Let's see what happens," a powerbroker said.
This follows the NSW Right's overtures to left-winger Mr -Albanese last summer when a "conga line" of union leaders visited his office and war-gamed a possible switch in support.
The embryonic coup, which involved NSW Senator Sam Dastiyari, was dumped after Malcolm Turnbull's polling numbers went backwards when he dropped his GST and tax reform agenda.
Mr Shorten is understood to have made big gains in support with the ALP membership this year after releasing a big policy agenda and is confident he could withstand a challenge.
Labor powerbrokers believe Mr Albanese could beat Mr Shorten in the event of a contest if he won the popular vote of the ALP membership, but concede it would be tougher if the Right again tries to bind MPs to vote for him.
Under party rules introduced by Kevin Rudd, the leadership is automatically challenged after an election loss and the winner is protected from facing another leadership ballot until after the next election.In the last leadership contest between the two men in 2013, Mr Albanese won the popular vote of ALP members but lost the ballot when the votes of the parliamentary wing were counted. because the Left split with some powerbrokers backing Mr Shorten.