The 1974 Amco Cup was the 1st edition of the NSWRFL Midweek Cup, a NSWRFL-organised national club Rugby League tournament between the leading clubs and representative teams from the NSWRFL, the CRL and the NZRL.
A total of 21 teams from across New South Wales and New Zealand played 20 matches in a straight knock-out format, with the matches being held midweek during the premiership season.
The Competition was originally going to have the 12 NSWRFL Premiership teams, the top 4 Brisbane Rugby League teams and the top 4 Country Divisional teams from the previous year. But when the Brisbane Rugby League teams and the winner of the 1973 CRL Championship, Newcastle declined to participate in the tournament, the remaining CRL Divisional teams, the 1973 New Zealand Inter-District Premiers, Auckland and the 1973 NSWRFL Second Division Runners-Up, Ryde-Eastwood were invited to compete instead.
Qualified Teams +TeamsLeagueQualification Manly-Warringah Sea EaglesNSWRFL1973 NSWRFL Premiership Winners Cronulla-Sutherland SharksNSWRFL1973 NSWRFL Runners-Up Newtown JetsNSWRFL1973 NSWRFL Semi-finalists St. George DragonsNSWRFL1973 NSWRFL Semi-finalists Canterbury-Bankstown BerriesNSWRFL1973 NSWRFL Semi-finalists Eastern Suburbs RoostersNSWRFL1973 NSWRFL Sixth Place South Sydney RabbitohsNSWRFL1973 NSWRFL Seventh Place North Sydney BearsNSWRFL1973 NSWRFL Eighth Place Western Suburbs MagpiesNSWRFL1973 NSWRFL Ninth Place Balmain TigersNSWRFL1973 NSWRFL Tenth Place Parramatta EelsNSWRFL1973 NSWRFL Eleventh Place Penrith PanthersNSWRFL1973 NSWRFL Twelfth Place Ryde-Eastwood HawksNSWRFL1973 NSWRFL Second Division Runners-Up1 Southern Division (Capitals)CRL1973 CRL Championship Runners-Up Riverina (Capitals)CRL1973 CRL Championship Semi-finalists Northern Division (Capitals)CRL1973 CRL Championship Semi-finalists Illawarra (Capitals)CRL1973 CRL Championship Fifth Place Western Division (Capitals)CRL1973 CRL Championship Sixth Place Monaro (Capitals)CRL1973 CRL Championship Seventh Place North Coast (Capitals)CRL1973 CRL Championship Eighth Place Auckland FalconsNZRL1973 NZRL Premiership Winners
1 Replaced Wentworthville who declined to participate.
Venues SydneyQueanbeyanOrange Leichhardt Oval Belmore Sports Ground Seiffert Oval Wade Park Capacity: 23,000 Capacity: 28,000 Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 10,000
Round 1 HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenueRefereeEastern Suburbs Roosters 22 – 6 Western Suburbs MagpiesWednesday, 10 AprilBelmore Sports GroundGreg HartleyParramatta 39 – 11 RiverinaWednesday, 17 AprilLeichhardt OvalLaurie BruyeresNorth Sydney Bears 19 – 7 North CoastWednesday, 24 AprilLeichhardt OvalD. McDonaldBalmain Tigers 11 – 22 St George DragonsWednesday, 1 MayLeichhardt OvalKeith PagePenrith Panthers 18 – 10 Ryde-Eastwood HawksWednesday, 8 MayLeichhardt Oval
Round 2 HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenueRefereeNewtown Jets 14 – 18 South Sydney RabbitohsWednesday, 15 MayLeichhardt OvalManly-Warringah Sea Eagles 34 – 10 ParramattaWednesday, 22 MayLeichhardt OvalWestern Division 13 – 7 Auckland FalconsWednesday, 12 JuneLeichhardt OvalLaurie BruyeresCanterbury-Bankstown Berries 22 – 19 IllawarraWednesday, 19 JuneSeiffert OvalKeith PageMonaro 21 – 32 Eastern Suburbs RoostersWednesday, 19 JuneSeiffert OvalGeoff CookCronulla-Sutherland Sharks 14 – 15 Southern DivisionWednesday, 26 JuneLeichhardt OvalLaurie BruyeresNorth Sydney Bears 14 – 19 Northern DivisionWednesday, 3 JulyLeichhardt Oval Keith HolmanSt George Dragons 3 – 14 Penrith PanthersWednesday, 17 JulyLeichhardt Oval
Finals HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and TimeVenueRefereesQuarter-finalsManly-Warringah Sea Eagles 22 – 7 South Sydney RabbitohsWednesday, 10 JulyLeichhardt OvalCanterbury-Bankstown Berries 10 – 12 Western DivisionWednesday, 17 JulyLeichhardt Oval Keith HolmanEastern Suburbs Roosters 18 – 10 Southern DivisionWednesday, 24 JulyLeichhardt OvalLes BallardPenrith Panthers 31 – 11 Northern DivisionWednesday, 31 JulyLeichhardt Oval Keith PageSemi-finalsWestern Division 12* – 12 Manly-Warringah Sea EaglesWednesday, 7 AugustWade ParkJack DanzeyEastern Suburbs Roosters 9 – 10 Penrith PanthersWednesday, 14 AugustLeichhardt OvalFinalPenrith Panthers 2 – 6 Western DivisionWednesday, 21 AugustLeichhardt Oval Laurie Bruyeres
*- advanced after a penalty count-back
Awards
Golden Try Malcolm Reilly (Manly-Warringah)
References