A former state secretary of the WA Labor party has cast doubt on Mark McGowan's ability to win the March 2017 state election.

Key points: Former Federal Minister Stephen Smith urged to run for leadership

Former Federal Minister Stephen Smith urged to run for leadership Recent Newspoll puts Labor in winning position

Recent Newspoll puts Labor in winning position Mark McGowan has majority support as Labor leader

Former MP turned lobbyist, John Halden, said a core group of MPs had approached former Federal Minister Stephen Smith, to run for the leadership.

The idea had been dismissed as a "fantasy" by many in the party and Mr McGowan said he was confident he had the support of Caucus.

But Mr Halden insisted Labor would need a game-changer to guarantee victory.

"If people want to change, they want to change to credibility and strength and experience and I think that's what Stephen offers," Mr Halden said.

"He's an advantage that you must consider and you shouldn't discard because he's in a league of his own on both sides."

There had been talk of Mr Smith leading the party to the 2017 election since he announced his retirement from the Federal seat of Perth in 2013.

The 60-year-old has declined to respond to numerous attempts by the ABC to contact him.

Recently, Labor was buoyed by a Newspoll putting the party in a winning position and polls have also shown Mark McGowan consistently ahead as preferred Premier.

But Mr Halden, who ran Geoff Gallop's successful campaign in 2001, said other polling had not reflected the Newspoll result and Labor would have to get the leadership right to secure the 10 per cent swing needed to win in one year's time.

"To get all those seats and that sort of size of swing, they're going to have to get it all right," Mr Halden said.

"He [Mark McGowan] is hardworking but he's not flamboyant and he struggles to deliver the message and make people believe in the Labor position on a topic."

But Mr McGowan hit back at the comments and said he had the overwhelming support of his parliamentary colleagues and the broader Labor party.

"There's 32 members of Caucus, if three or four don't support me that means I have 90 percent support of my colleagues," he said.

"Anyone in public life is never going to have 100 per cent support.

"If I was the president of the Rockingham Bowling Club, I would have people who would think they could do the job better than me, that's a fact of life.

"When John Halden was state secretary, Facebook wasn't invented, Ansett was still flying and Don Bradman was still alive.

"Things have moved on. We're a united team and we're working hard."

'Madness' to replace McGowan before poll: Labor MPs

Former WA Labor MP John Halden said the party needed a "game-changer" to guarantee an election win. ( ABC News: Claire Moodie )

Most Labor MPs approached by the ABC said they supported Mr McGowan and dismissed the Smith option as "madness".

"There are people who think we can have a sugar hit of a high-profile person and it's going to be game over," said one senior Labor source.

"It's lazy politics. People just need to do the work."

Many argued that it was not technically possible under Labor's constitution for Mr Smith to be parachuted into the leadership, even if he wanted it.

Under Labor rules, a nominee for the leadership must be an MP.

But those trying to convince Mr Smith to run said there was nothing to stop him nominating for a key seat and becoming a "provisional" or "unofficial" leader until the election.

Political analyst William Bowe said such a move would be awkward, but not impossible.

"Campbell Newman in Queensland was not a member of Parliament when he contested the 2012 election," Mr Bowe said.

"In past times, that would have been unthinkable, it seemed extremely unorthodox in 2012, but it delivered him the biggest election victory practically in Australian history.

"Where there's a will, there's a way."

Party stability crucial to Labor's chances

Former Federal Member for Perth, Stephen Smith, has declined to comment on Labor leadership speculation. ( ABC News: Andrew O'Connor )

The ABC has spoken to more than 20 of Labor's 31 MPs and the majority said they supported Mark McGowan as leader.

"One thing that Labor has learnt is that disunity is death," said one.

"He's not perfect but he's run a steady ship," said another.

But a handful of MPs said Mr McGowan's leadership would again come under pressure if the next Newspoll was not favourable.

"He's a solid performer but I'm lacking in confidence that he can get us the 10 per cent swing," one said.

"A lot of us are worried."

Former Liberal Opposition leader, Barry MacKinnon, said Labor should stick with Mr McGowan because it only had to maintain its stability to win the election.

"I think McGowan is their best bet at this stage of the game," Mr MacKinnon said.

"To go with anybody else would be a disaster.

"I don't think the Labor Party have been badly served by Mark McGowan.

"I've always been of the view that Governments lose. Oppositions don't win."

Catch ABC News Perth's half-hour TV special 'Winning The West' at 7:30pm on Friday night for a look at WA politics a year out from the state election.