# 1978–79 Challenge Cup

The 1978–79 Challenge Cup was the 78th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. Known as the State Express Challenge Cup due to sponsorship by State Express 555, the final was contested by Widnes and Wakefield Trinity at Wembley. Widnes won the match 12–3.
Widnes beat Wakefield Trinity 12-3 at Wembley in front of a crowd of 94,218.
This was Widnes' fifth cup final win in seven Final appearances. To date, this was Wakefield Trinity’s last appearance in a Challenge Cup final.
Despite being on the losing side, the Wakefield Trinity Stand-off, David Topliss, won the Lance Todd Trophy.

## First round

| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 10 Feb | Hull FC | Leeds | 17-6 |
| 11 Feb | Barrow | York | 10-7 |
| 11 Feb | Hull Kingston Rovers | New Hunslet | 23-15 |
| 11 Feb | Leigh Miners W. | Leigh | 10-23 |
| 11 Feb | St Helens | Doncaster | 34-9 |
| 11 Feb | Salford | Bramley | 6-6 |
| 11 Feb | Warrington | Castleford | 9-15 |
| 11 Feb | Widnes | Workington Town | 12-5 |
| 20 Feb | Swinton | Bradford Northern | 2-8 |
| 20 Feb | Wigan | Halifax | 9-6 |
| 21 Feb | Huyton | Keighley | 2-14 |
| 25 Feb | Dewsbury | Blackpool | 13-6 |
| 25 Feb | Rochdale Hornets | Batley | 15-0 |
| 25 Feb | Wakefield Trinity | Featherstone Rovers | 10-7 |
| 27 Feb - replay | Bramley | Salford | 2-2 |
| 28 Feb | Oldham | Ace Amateurs | 23-5 |
| 01 Mar | Huddersfield | Whitehaven | 11-9 |
| 01 Mar - 2nd replay | Salford | Bramley | 5-7 |

## Second round

| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 24 Feb | Widnes | Wigan | 21-5 |
| 25 Feb | Barrow | Leigh | 25-2 |
| 25 Feb | Keighley | Hull FC | 12-33 |
| 04 Mar | Bradford Northern | Hull Kingston Rovers | 14-7 |
| 04 Mar | Castleford | Dewsbury | 31-15 |
| 04 Mar | Huddersfield | Bramley | 31-12 |
| 04 Mar | Oldham | Wakefield Trinity | 7-19 |
| 04 Mar | Rochdale Hornets | St Helens | 10-11 |

## Quarter-finals

| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 10 Mar | Castleford | St Helens | 6-10 |
| 11 Mar | Bradford Northern | Hull FC | 8-8 |
| 11 Mar | Huddersfield | Widnes | 0-14 |
| 11 Mar | Wakefield Trinity | Barrow | 8-5 |
| 14 Mar - replay | Hull FC | Bradford Northern | 4-8 |

## Semi-finals

| Date | Team one | Team two | Score |
| 31 Mar | Widnes | Bradford Northern | 14-11 |
| 07 Apr | Wakefield Trinity | St Helens | 9-7 |

## Final

* 5 May 1979
| Widnes | 12 – 3 | Wakefield Trinity |
| Try: Wright, Hughes Goal: Burke (2) Drop goal: Elwell, Eckersley | Report | Try: Fletcher |
* Wembley, London Attendance: 94,218 Referee: J. E. Jackson (Pudsey) Player of the Match: David Topliss
| FB | 1 | David Eckersley |
| RW | 2 | Stuart Wright |
| RC | 3 | Mal Aspey |
| LC | 4 | Mick George | 58' |
| LW | 5 | Mick Burke |
| SO | 6 | Eric Hughes |
| SH | 7 | Reg Bowden (c) |
| PR | 8 | Jim Mills |
| HK | 9 | Keith Elwell |
| PR | 10 | Glyn Shaw |
| SR | 11 | Mick Adams |
| SR | 12 | Alan Dearden | 74' |
| LF | 13 | Doug Laughton |
| Substitutions: ||
| IC | 14 | Mike O'Neill | 74' |
| IC | 15 | David Hull | 58' |
| Player-coach: ||
| Doug Laughton ||
| FB | 1 | Les Sheard |
| RW | 2 | Andy Fletcher |
| RC | 3 | Keith Smith |
| LC | 4 | Steve Diamond |
| LW | 5 | Brian Juliff |
| SO | 6 | David Topliss (c) |
| SH | 7 | Mike Lampkowski |
| PR | 8 | John Burke |
| HK | 9 | Alan McCurrie |
| PR | 10 | Trevor Skerrett |
| SR | 11 | Bill Ashurst |
| SR | 12 | Keith Rayne |
| LF | 13 | Graham Idle |
| Substitutions: ||
| IC | 14 | Trevor Midgley |
| IC | 15 | Kevin Rayne |
| Coach: ||
| Bill Kirkbride ||