Newcastle 13
Wasps 32

James Haskell will not be leaving London Wasps at the end of the season, by which time they could be celebrating another Premiership triumph after their bonus-point victory at Newcastle lifted them to third in the table.

Due to protracted negotiations over a new contract, there has been speculation that Haskell, who has been named on the shortlist for Young Player of the Year, would take up one of a reported six offers from rival clubs.

But head coach Shaun Edwards made it clear last night that the England f lanker is contracted until next summer, by which time Wasps are confident they can thrash out a deal.

The club have given themselves a great chance of a home play-off in the semi- finals as a result of their hard-fought 32-13 win at Newcastle. In doing so they collected a try-scoring bonus point to take them above Sale and Harlequins, with only doomed Leeds left to play on Saturday.

With leaders Gloucester taking on second-placed Bath, there is every chance that another bonus-point win for Wasps will see them finish in the top two and gain home advantage.

Wasps were powered to a fifth successive away win by the pace of wing Paul Sackey, in-form Josh Lewsey and outstanding work up front by flanker Tom Rees. But Ian McGeechan, the club's director of rugby, and Edwards will spend today working out which players are ready for a third game in a week.

Danny Cipriani, the England No10, is still troubled by the after-effects of a virus and prop Pat Barnard came off last night with more problems with his right knee that has only just recovered from ligament damage.

By making wholesale changes, Wasps not only grabbed a bonus-point win but rested key players such as Lawrence Dallaglio and Rafael Ibanez, while Simon Shaw and Joe Worsley only played for the final quarter.

Sackey's form has made him one of the most potent scoring machines in world rugby and he finished off a length-of-the-field effort. Edwards said: "I'm sticking my neck out but he's the best winger in Europe. He's come on in leaps and bounds and turned all that potential into the real deal."

McGeechan, whose squad will stay in Leeds to prepare for the final league match, said: "It has put us in a position where we can have a big say in what happens on the final day. We gave some silly points away in the first half but our forwards were outstanding."

Edwards supplied a harsher verdict on Wasps first-half performance, which saw them bounce back to win the second half 17-0.

He said: "What we changed is that we stopped knocking the ball on and giving them rubbish tries. We need to improve if we are to make the Grand Final."

Meanwhile, Wasps and Harlequins have suppl ied seven of the 10 nominations for the Players' Player and Young Player of the Year. Cipriani is nominated in both categories.

Cipriani is joined by Wasps teammates Riki Flutey and Sackey, as well as Bath's Olly Barkley and Gloucester's James Simpson-Daniel in the shortlist for Players' Player of the Year.

Haskell and Cipriani face competition from Quins pair Danny Care and Chris Robshaw and Leicester's Tom Croft (Leicester) for the Young Player of the Year award.