Simon Bridges has failed to fire up support as preferred Prime Minister after four months in the role as National leader, results from the latest Newshub-Reid Research poll reveal.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern retained popularity in the top spot and National's Judith Collins made her first appearance as a possible leader.
Ardern remained a solid with 40.2 per cent support, while Bridges dawdled behind at just 9 per cent.
Collins made her first-ever appearance as preferred Prime Minister with 3.7 per cent support, Newshub reported
Neither Labour nor National could form a Government without aid from the Greens under the poll results.
Labour was on 42.6 per cent, up 0.3 per cent, while National was on 45.1 per cent, up 0.6 per cent.
New Zealand First would lose its kingmaker status and be out of Parliament, slipping below the 5 per cent threshold to just 2.4 per cent support, Newshub reported.
The power of king or queen maker would pass to the Greens, which netted 5.7 per cent of the vote - enough to return to Parliament.