Julia Gillard continued to dodge leadership speculation yesterday as she joked with the Prime Minister's XI and Sri Lankan cricket sides and officials at the washed-out Manuka Oval in Canberra.

With opinion polls showing Labor lagging well behind the Coalition, caucus members - who will meet in Canberra tomorrow for a pre-Parliament strategy day - appeared divided into three camps: those in favour of Ms Gillard, those backing Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, and a large rump in two minds about whether to stick with the Prime Minister or someone other than Mr Rudd.

But she received support from New South Wales independent Rob Oakeshott, who said federal Labor had ``rocks in its head'' if the party thought it could change leaders without it affecting the Parliament.

Mr Oakeshott is one of four cross-benchers who backed Ms Gillard into minority government after the 2010 election.

Part of the agreement is for the Parliament to run its full term and for an election to be held in late 2013.

Mr Oakeshott said a leadership change could lead to the end of the Labor government.

``If the Labor Party thinks they can make an old-style change of leader without it affecting the make-up of the Parliament they have rocks in their heads,'' he said yesterday.

``They need to be sensitive to the make-up of the Parliament and there are supply and confidence agreements in place.''

Mr Oakeshott said any incoming Labor leader should not assume they could go to the Governor-General and seek a snap election. ``We are obliged to sort it out as a group of parliamentarians,'' he said.

Fellow independent Andrew Wilkie has already withdrawn his support because of the government's scrapping of its promise to him on poker-machine reform.

NSW cross-bencher Tony Windsor said he would ``take advice'' if there was a change.

The Greens flagged a similar position.