The National Party is without a leadership team and its relationship with the Liberal Party could be in tatters.

Within minutes, the Nationals lost a chief, a deputy and found itself thrown into an intense five-week by-election.

The party thinks Barnaby Joyce is a sure bet to win, and it is most probably right.

But the bigger problem for the Nationals is how furious the Liberal Party is with the whole sorry mess.

Three Nationals — Mr Joyce, Fiona Nash and Matt Canavan — were caught up in the citizenship saga, and the party's behaviour since has appeared undisciplined.

Queensland Nationals were busy squabbling over the Inland Rail plans in the week they knew their party could lose senior figures.

Despite that record, the Nationals are already making demands of the senior Coalition partner.

They want to have a National leading the country when Malcolm Turnbull goes overseas.

Normally that job would fall to the deputy prime minister, but Mr Joyce is disqualified.

That means the nation could be leaderless.

Who's likely to replace the ousted senators? Larissa Waters: Next on the Greens' Queensland ticket is Andrew Bartlett

Larissa Waters: Next on the Greens' Queensland ticket is Scott Ludlam: Next on the Greens' WA ticket is Jordan Steele-John , a young activist who has cerebral palsy

Scott Ludlam: Next on the Greens' WA ticket is , a young activist who has cerebral palsy Malcolm Roberts: Next on One Nation's Queensland ticket is Fraser Anning , who is no longer facing bankruptcy legal action

Malcolm Roberts: Next on One Nation's Queensland ticket is , who is no longer facing bankruptcy legal action Fiona Nash: Next on the Coalition's Senate ticket in NSW is Hollie Hughes, who is a Liberal. That would mean a change in the Coalition balance

The interim Nationals parliamentary leader is Northern Territory senator Nigel Scullion, but the Liberals and some Nationals do not want him running the country.

They doubt his knockabout NT approach is suited to the top job and many expect deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop to be chosen instead.

But the National Party's federal president, Larry Anthony, said on Friday the position of deputy prime minister was in "abeyance", signalling he is far from agreeing Ms Bishop should be appointed as acting prime minister instead of Senator Scullion.

The Nationals are also keen to retain Fiona Nash's New South Wales Senate spot, but Liberal candidate Hollie Hughes, who was next on the ticket, is expected to take up the job.

Trying to convince a Liberal to walk away from the chance to sit in the Senate is seen as cheeky, but if they try to exert further pressure it risks a civil war.

The question is, are the NSW Nationals, in particular Barnaby Joyce, willing to risk it?