Troy Grant told to ‘walk away’ from NSW Nationals leadership after disastrous Orange byelection

"He should just walk away," Mr Fraser said of Mr Grant, arguing that he suffers from "a lack of political experience".

"As far as I'm concerned we've got to get back to tin tacks - listening to our constituents, not just dictating to them."

The spill would be discussed at a party room meeting on either Monday or Tuesday. Mr Fraser, the member for Coffs Harbour, would not nominate a potential new leader to replace Mr Grant, but names being discussed include Lands Minister Niall Blair and Skills Minister John Barilaro.

The call comes as another senior Nationals MP, Kevin Humphries, branded the party's poor showing in the Orange byelection a "wake-up call" for Mr Grant, warning that if he and others don't accept the need for change "he would struggle to stay as leader".

The Nationals have suffered a 35 per cent swing against them on the primary vote in the byelection held on Saturday.

Counting continues on Sunday, with Nationals candidate Scott Barratt at serious risk of losing to Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party candidate Philip Donato, despite the seat being held on a 21.7 per cent margin by the Coalition partner.

Mr Humphries, the member for Barwon, said the result was not about a single issue such as the decision to shut down the greyhound industry - later reversed - or council amalgamations in the area.

Rather it was symptomatic of the party leadership - which comprises Mr Grant, Education Minister Adrian Piccoli and Roads Minister Duncan Gay - being "out of their depth".

"There's a disconnect and inexperience among the leadership," he said.

"Whether it's the greyhounds decision or the stalled decentralisation policy, for our leadership to think this is an aberration is very naive.

"Reforms in general have been very difficult and the Nationals have not been able to present a clear way forward over the next five to 10 years".

Mr Humphries noted that Mr Grant holds the neighbouring electorate of Dubbo and argued "he should have been all over it" in relation the the opposition surfacing in Orange.

"The opposite happened. They kept him out of it".

Asked if the result increased the likelihood of Mr Grant losing the leadership, Mr Humphries said: "All I'd say is that more of the same is not possible."

"A swing of 35 per cent is double that of the average byelection. It's not a poke in the eye. It's a poke in the eye and a kick in the pants. People meant it."

He noted that those Nationals members that crossed the floor on the vote to shut down the greyhound industry "took responsibility for their actions" and were demoted as parliamentary secretaries as a result.

In August three Nationals MP - Mr Humphries, Cootamundra MP Katrina Hodgkinson and Clarence MP Chris Gulaptis - crossed the floor to vote against the bill, which was supported by 48 votes to 35. 

"The leader and one or two others should be doing the same thing," he said.

However, Mr Humphries believed Mr Grant and others in the leadership group "should be given the courtesy of addressing the party and putting their point of view first". This would most likely happen at a partyroom meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

"If there's not radical change and an acceptance that it's not a one-off, if he doesn't want to accept that and take advice he would struggle to stay as leader," he said.

Mr Fraser said the Orange result was about three issues: leadership, the greyhound racing ban and council amalgamations.

His said his push for new leadership was "about having a whole new paradigm. Let's go and represent our people".

Mr Grant said he expects to remain leader of the NSW Nationals until the next election in 2019.

"The final byelection result isn't known but the count so far delivers a strong message," Mr Grant said on Sunday.

"The message for Macquarie Street is clear: Government is there to support communities and, otherwise, should just get out of people's lives."