# 1978 Amco Cup

The 1978 Amco Cup was the 5th edition of the NSWRFL Midweek Knockout Cup, a NSWRFL-organised national club Rugby League tournament between the leading clubs and representative teams from the NSWRFL, the BRL, the CRL, the QRL, the NZRL, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
A total of 38 teams from across Australia and New Zealand played 37 matches in a straight knock-out format, with the matches being held midweek during the premiership season.

## Qualified Teams

| Team | Nickname | League | Qualification | Participation (bold indicates winners) |
| St. George | Dragons | NSWRFL | Winners of the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Parramatta | Eels | NSWRFL | Runners-Up in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Eastern Suburbs | Roosters | NSWRFL | Third Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Balmain | Tigers | NSWRFL | Fourth Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Manly-Warringah | Sea Eagles | NSWRFL | Fifth Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Cronulla-Sutherland | Sharks | NSWRFL | Sixth Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Canterbury-Bankstown | Berries | NSWRFL | Seventh Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| North Sydney | Bears | NSWRFL | Eighth Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Western Suburbs | Magpies | NSWRFL | Ninth Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Penrith | Panthers | NSWRFL | Tenth Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| South Sydney | Rabbitohs | NSWRFL | Eleventh Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Newtown | Jets | NSWRFL | Twelfth Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Eastern Suburbs | Tigers | BRL | Winners of the 1977 Brisbane Rugby League Premiership | 3rd (Previous: 1976, 1977) |
| Redcliffe | Dolphins | BRL | Runners-Up in the 1977 Brisbane Rugby League Premiership | 3rd (Previous: 1976, 1977) |
| Western Suburbs | Panthers | BRL | Third Place in the 1977 Brisbane Rugby League Premiership | 3rd (Previous: 1976, 1977) |
| Northern Suburbs | Devils | BRL | Fourth Place in the 1977 Brisbane Rugby League Premiership | 4th (Previous: 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Past Brothers | Leprechauns | BRL | Fifth Place in the 1977 Brisbane Rugby League Premiership | 4th (Previous: 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Fortitude Valley | Diehards | BRL | Sixth Place in the 1977 Brisbane Rugby League Premiership | 4th (Previous: 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Wynnum-Manly | Seagulls | BRL | Seventh Place in the 1977 Brisbane Rugby League Premiership | 2nd (Previous: 1977) |
| Southern Suburbs | Magpies | BRL | Eighth Place in the 1977 Brisbane Rugby League Premiership | 4th (Previous: 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Monaro | Colts | CRL | Winners of the 1977 Country Rugby League Championship | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Newcastle | Rebels | CRL | Runners-Up in the 1977 Country Rugby League Championship | 4th (Previous: 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Southern Division | Bulls | CRL | Third Place in the 1977 Country Rugby League Championship | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Riverina | Bulls | CRL | Fourth Place in the 1977 Country Rugby League Championship | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Northern Division | Tigers | CRL | Fifth Place in the 1977 Country Rugby League Championship | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Western Division | Rams | CRL | Sixth Place in the 1977 Country Rugby League Championship | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| North Coast | Dolphins | CRL | Seventh Place in the 1977 Country Rugby League Championship | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Illawarra | Flametrees | CRL | Eighth Place in the 1977 Country Rugby League Championship | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Central Queensland | Capras | QRL | Queensland Country Regional Team | 2nd (Previous: 1977) |
| Gold Coast | Vikings | QRL | Queensland Country Regional Team | 1st |
| Ipswich | Diggers | QRL | Queensland Country Regional Team | 4th (Previous: 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| North Queensland | Marlins | QRL | Queensland Country Regional Team | 3rd (Previous: 1976, 1977) |
| Toowoomba | Clydesdales | QRL | Queensland Country Regional Team | 4th (Previous: 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Wide Bay | Bulls | QRL | Queensland Country Regional Team | 3rd (Previous: 1976, 1977) |
| Auckland | Falcons | NZRL | Winners of the 1977 New Zealand Rugby League Inter-District Premiership | 5th (Previous: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) |
| Wellington | Black & Yellow Capitals | NZRL | Runners-Up in the 1977 New Zealand Rugby League Inter-District Premiership | 1st |
| Northern Territory | Bulls | NTRL | State Representative Team | 3rd (Previous: 1976, 1977) |
| Western Australia | Black Swans | WARL | State Representative Team | 2nd (Previous: 1977) |

## Venues

| Sydney | Sydney | Brisbane | Newcastle | Queanbeyan | Wollongong | Wagga Wagga | Tamworth | Coffs Harbour | Lismore | Griffith | Ipswich | Southport | Surfers Paradise | Maryborough | Darwin |
| Leichhardt Oval | Orana Park | Lang Park | Newcastle International Sports Centre | Seiffert Oval | Wollongong Showground | Eric Weissel Oval | Scully Park | Coffs Harbour Showground | Oakes Oval | West End Stadium | North Ipswich Reserve | Wally Fankhauser Sports Park | Lex Bell Oval | Eskdale Park | Richardson Park |
| Capacity: 23,000 | Capacity: 20,000 | Capacity: 45,000 | Capacity: 33,000 | Capacity: 20,000 | Capacity: 23,000 | Capacity: 10,000 | Capacity: 13,000 | Capacity: 10,000 | Capacity: 12,000 | Capacity: 10,000 | Capacity: 10,000 | Capacity: 7,000 | Capacity: 8,000 | Capacity: 10,000 | Capacity: 10,000 |

## Round 1

| Date | Winner | Score | Loser | Score | Venue |
| 15/03/78 | Illawarra | 63 | Wellington NZ | 5 | Wollongong Showground |
| 26/03/78 | Toowoomba | 22 | Ipswich | 12 | North Ipswich Reserve |
| 30/03/78 | Gold Coast | 18 | North Queensland | 16 | Chris Cunningham Field |
| 2/04/78 | Western Australia | 21 | Northern Territory | 18 | Richardson Park |
| 5/04/78 | Wide Bay | 12 | Central Queensland | 3 | Eskdale Park |
| 8/04/78 | Western Division | 12 | Southern Division | 4 | Orana Park |

## Round 2

| Date | Winner | Score | Loser | Score | Venue |
| 30/03/78 | Wests BRL* | 8 | Wynnum-Manly | 8 | Lang Park |
| 30/03/78 | Newtown | 49 | Brothers | 0 | Leichhardt Oval |
| 5/04/78 | Souths BRL | 10 | Gold Coast | 4 | Chris Cunningham Field |
| 5/04/78 | Illawarra | 35 | Fortitude Valley | 7 | Lang Park |
| 12/04/78 | Riverina | 43 | Wide Bay | 4 | Griffith |
| 12/04/78 | Newcastle | 51 | Western Australia | 5 | Newcastle ISC |
| 17/05/78 | South Sydney | 22 | Western Division | 9 | Leichhardt Oval |
| 24/05/78 | North Coast | 22 | Toowoomba | 13 | Oakes Oval |

## Round 3

| Date | Winner | Score | Loser | Score | Venue |
| 12/04/78 | Newtown | 13 | Canterbury-Bankstown | 4 | Leichhardt Oval |
| 19/04/78 | Western Suburbs | 25 | Souths BRL | 5 | Leichhardt Oval |
| 26/04/78 | Wests BRL | 4 | Redcliffe | 3 | Lang Park |
| 3/05/78 | Riverina | 36 | Penrith | 2 | Eric Weissel Oval |
| 10/05/78 | Cronulla-Sutherland | 57 | Newcastle | 5 | Leichhardt Oval |
| 24/05/78 | Illawarra | 44 | Norths BRL | 5 | Wollongong Showground |
| 31/05/78 | South Sydney | 9 | Northern Division | 5 | Scully Park |
| 14/06/78 | North Sydney | 46 | North Coast | 3 | Coffs Harbour |

## Round 4

| Date | Winner | Score | Loser | Score | Venue |
| 3/05/78 | Eastern Suburbs | 16 | Western Suburbs | 10 | Leichhardt Oval |
| 24/05/78 | Auckland | 39 | Riverina | 3 | Leichhardt Oval |
| 7/06/78 | Parramatta | 28 | Wests BRL | 0 | Leichhardt Oval |
| 14/06/78 | Cronulla-Sutherland | 15 | Monaro | 8 | Seiffert Oval |
| 14/06/78 | Illawarra | 19 | Balmain | 10 | Leichhardt Oval |
| 27/06/78 | St George | 35 | Newtown | 11 | Leichhardt Oval |
| 4/07/78 | Manly-Warringah | 11 | South Sydney | 9 | Lang Park |
| 5/07/78 | Easts BRL | 27 | North Sydney | 6 | Lang Park |

## Quarter finals

| Date | Winner | Score | Loser | Score | Venue |
| 5/07/78 | Eastern Suburbs | 12 | Illawarra | 2 | Leichhardt Oval |
| 12/07/78 | St George | 27 | Parramatta | 2 | Leichhardt Oval |
| 19/07/78 | Manly-Warringah | 27 | Easts BRL | 10 | Lang Park |
| 26/07/78 | Cronulla-Sutherland | 22 | Auckland | 6 | Leichhardt Oval |

## Semi finals

| Date | Winner | Score | Loser | Score | Venue |
| 2/08/78 | Eastern Suburbs | 14 | Manly-Warringah | 2 | Leichhardt Oval |
| 9/08/78 | St George | 21 | Cronulla-Sutherland | 7 | Leichhardt Oval |

## Final

| Date | Winner | Score | Loser | Score | Venue |
| 16/08/78 | Eastern Suburbs | 16 | St George | 4 | Leichhardt Oval |
As with all mid-season Cup games, the Final of the 1978 Amco Cup was broadcast into NSW by 0–10 with commentary from Ray Warren, Keith Barnes and in his first ever co-commentating role on television, legendary rugby league broadcaster Frank Hyde.

### Player of the Series

Kevin Hastings (Eastern Suburbs)

### Golden Try

* Mitch Brennan (St George)