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.

1978 NSWRFL Midweek Cup
NSWRFL Amco Cup
Tournament details
Dates15 March - 16 August 1978
Teams38
Venue(s)16 (in 15 host cities)
Final positions
ChampionsEastern Suburbs (2nd title)
Runners-upSt. George
Tournament statistics
Matches played37
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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Kevin Hastings (Eastern Suburbs)

Golden Try

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Notes

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  • *- Advanced on penalty count-back