Jacinta Allan has called for Labor colleagues to unify after she lived to fight another day as Victorian premier following the collapse of a tepid leadership coup.
Victorian Labor MPs filed in on Tuesday morning for a final caucus meeting before parliament rises until late July.
It was considered the last chance for at least six weeks for representatives to roll their leader, unless a special meeting was called over the mid-winter break.
But momentum for a spill ground to a halt after Ms Allan's main internal rival, Deputy Premier Ben Carroll, ruled out a challenge on Monday.
Ms Allan, who has been heavily criticised for rising state crime rates and allegations of corruption on government project worksites, walked into Tuesday's meeting with Mr Carroll in a show of support.
After the 30-minute meeting, the premier said she would "absolutely" lead Labor to the November state election.
"We've just had a fantastic Labor caucus meeting," she told reporters.
Mr Carroll described himself as a "marathon runner" when asked if he had missed his chance to take the top job.
"No one has spoken to me about the leadership," he said, adding he didn't know where the whispers were coming from.
"It's not coming from me."
Mr Carroll said the premier delivered a message to be united, disciplined and let Victorians know what was at stake come the November election.
He wouldn't say whether Ms Allan specifically addressed the leadership speculation.
"There's always been a line under it," the deputy premier said.
"I've been a loyal deputy for three years and I'll continue to be.
"You watch us win in November, you watch the papers the next day. We will turn this around."
But the meeting may not be the end of leadership rumblings for Ms Allan if Labor doesn't correct its slide in the polls.
Nine newspapers' latest Victorian Resolve surveys, released on Monday, showed primary support for Labor falling to 26 per cent, level with the coalition. One Nation was up three percentage points to 24 per cent.
Victorian Labor has not changed leaders this close to an election since Steve Bracks replaced John Brumby as opposition leader in March 1999.
Chopping a leader for a fresh face can help parties "on the edges", but election analyst Ben Raue doubted it would "revolutionise" Labor's polling results.
"I don't think their primary problem is Jacinta Allan," the founder of The Tally Room website told AAP.
"This just happens when you've been in power for a long time ... maybe they could be polling in the high 20s instead of the low 20s."
Mr Raue's back-of-the-envelope calculations based on recent polls indicated Labor, the coalition and One Nation could all end up with 20-something seats each.
"You're nowhere near any party having a majority," he said.
"No one cracks 30 seats."
Opposition Leader Jess Wilson said she had her own vision for the state and the Allan government had taken its eye off the ball.
"They're focused on themselves," she said.
The coalition needs a net gain of at least 16 seats to govern in majority.
It could require an agreement or understanding of confidence or supply with One Nation to snatch power in the event of a hung parliament.
Mr Raue pointed out Labor was facing a different political calculus in Victoria compared to the recent South Australian election, where there was no prospect of One Nation having a role in government due to the weakness of the coalition.
