Real problem is we have a speaker who clearly is not up to his job ...
Not sure about your description of Bridges, but than, just remind me how many "dead men walking" Labour had at their helm during the oppositon period. They changed their leaders more frequently than some people change their shirts ...
But than, I think it was clearly a winning strategy for Labour to get Goff / Shearer / Cunnliffe / Little to take all the flak and keep their real PM candidate hidden from any public scrutiny up to 6 weeks before the elections by lulling everybody in the safe knowledge that Little is never going to cut it anyway.
Bridges much better than Little in his job as opposition leader and doing a great job at the right time - and just look at Nationals ratings. Remember me where the Labour party was in opposition - wasn't it something like 20+ percent? Based on that National is poised to take next time the absolute majority ...
We will find out whether he is as well the right PM candidate - maybe National learned from Labours strategy (though I think in Labours case it was just sheer luck born from desperation). I am sure you find out early enough who will replace Cindy in her seat - assuming that next time our very own populist and king maker might have other problems than helping her again :P - Peters never made it back into the second term of a government he was part of, no matter who stood against him - and who would be Cindy without Peters? Right, at best an opposition politician.