1978 Amco Cup
International football competition
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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.
Dates15 March - 16 August 1978
Teams38
Venue16 (in 15 host cities)
ChampionsEastern Suburbs (2nd title)
| NSWRFL Amco Cup | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Dates | 15 March - 16 August 1978 |
| Teams | 38 |
| Venue | 16 (in 15 host cities) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Eastern Suburbs (2nd title) |
| Runners-up | St. George |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 37 |
← 1977 1979 → | |
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 | 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 |
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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[1] |
| 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
Golden Try
Notes
- *- Advanced on penalty count-back