The 1979 Amco Cup was the 6th 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 BRL, the CRL, the QRL and the NZRL.
A total of 16 teams from across Australia and New Zealand played 27 matches in a round-robin group format with the winners of each group advancing to a knockout stage, with the matches being held midweek during the premiership season.
Qualified Teams TeamNicknameLeagueQualificationParticipation (bold indicates winners)Manly-WarringahSea EaglesNSWRFLWinners of the 1978 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership6th Cronulla-SutherlandSharksNSWRFLRunners-Up in the 1978 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership6th Western SuburbsMagpiesNSWRFLThird Place in the 1978 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership6th ParramattaEelsNSWRFLFourth Place in the 1978 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership6th Canterbury-BankstownBulldogsNSWRFLFifth Place in the 1978 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership6th Eastern SuburbsRoostersNSWRFLSixth Place in the 1978 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership6th South SydneyRabbitohsNSWRFLSeventh Place in the 1978 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership6th St. GeorgeDragonsNSWRFLEighth Place in the 1978 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership6th BalmainTigersNSWRFLNinth Place in the 1978 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership6th PenrithPanthersNSWRFLTenth Place in the 1978 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership6th North SydneyBearsNSWRFLEleventh Place in the 1978 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership6th NewtownJetsNSWRFLTwelfth Place in the 1978 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership6th BrisbanePoinsettiasBRLLeague Representative Team1stNSW CountryKangaroosCRLCountry Representative Team1stQueensland CountryMaroonsQRLCountry Representative Team1stAucklandFalconsNZRLWinners of the 1978 New Zealand Rugby League Inter-District Premiership6th
Venues SydneyBrisbaneLismoreGriffith Leichhardt Oval Penrith Park Lang Park Oakes Oval West End Stadium Capacity: 23,000 Capacity: 22,500 Capacity: 45,000 Capacity: 12,000 Capacity: 10,000
Group A Date Winner Score Loser Score Venue28/03/79 Eastern Suburbs 19 Manly-Warringah 7 Leichhardt Oval2/05/79 Combined Brisbane 13 St George 10 Lang Park30/05/79 Eastern Suburbs 12 St George 6 Leichhardt Oval27/06/79 Combined Brisbane 13 Manly-Warringah 10 Leichhardt Oval18/07/79 St George 7 Manly-Warringah 4 Griffith25/07/79 Combined Brisbane 17 Eastern Suburbs 8 Lang Park
Club Played Won Lost Drawn For Against Diff. Points Combined Brisbane 3 3 0 0 43 28 15 6 Eastern Suburbs 3 2 0 1 39 30 9 4 St George 3 1 0 2 23 29 -6 2 Manly-Warringah 3 0 0 3 21 39 -18 0
Group B Date Winner Score Loser Score Venue4/04/79 Cronulla-Sutherland 22 Canterbury-Bankstown 8 Leichhardt Oval11/04/79 Penrith 12 Auckland 5 Leichhardt Oval9/05/79 Penrith 18 Cronulla-Sutherland 10 Penrith Park30/05/79 Canterbury-Bankstown 12 Auckland 3 Leichhardt Oval4/07/79 Canterbury-Bankstown 18 Penrith 10 Leichhardt Oval11/07/79 Cronulla-Sutherland 30 Auckland 10 Leichhardt Oval
Club Played Won Lost Drawn For Against Diff. Points Cronulla-Sutherland 3 2 0 1 62 36 26 4 Penrith 3 2 0 1 40 33 7 4 Canterbury-Bankstown 3 2 0 1 38 35 3 4 Auckland 3 0 0 3 18 54 -36 0
Group C Date Winner Score Loser Score Venue19/04/79 Parramatta 44 North Sydney 10 Leichhardt Oval15/05/79 QLD Country 16 Newtown 14 Lang Park13/06/79 Newtown 15 Parramatta 13 Leichhardt Oval21/06/79 QLD Country 12 North Sydney 5 Lang Park4/07/79 QLD Country 18 Parramatta 9 Lang Park12/07/79 North Sydney 35 Newtown 13 Leichhardt Oval
Club Played Won Lost Drawn For Against Diff. Points QLD Country 3 3 0 0 46 28 18 6 Parramatta 3 1 0 2 66 43 23 2 North Sydney 3 1 0 2 50 69 -19 2 Newtown 3 1 0 2 42 64 -22 2
Group D Date Winner Score Loser Score Venue25/04/79 Western Suburbs 22 Balmain 11 Leichhardt Oval23/05/79 South Sydney 25 NSW Country 10 Leichhardt Oval6/06/79 NSW Country 14 Western Suburbs 11 Leichhardt Oval20/06/79 Balmain 5 South Sydney 3 Leichhardt Oval11/07/79 Balmain 25 NSW Country 11 Leichhardt Oval18/07/79 South Sydney 9 Western Suburbs 7 Leichhardt Oval
Club Played Won Lost Drawn For Against Diff. Points South Sydney 3 2 0 1 37 22 15 4 Balmain 3 2 0 1 41 36 5 4 Western Suburbs 3 1 0 2 40 34 6 2 NSW Country 3 1 0 2 35 61 -26 2
Semi finals Date Winner Score Loser Score Venue1/08/79 Cronulla-Sutherland 13 South Sydney 9 Leichhardt Oval8/08/79 Combined Brisbane 8 QLD Country 5 Lang Park
Final
Player of the Series Kurt Sorensen (Cronulla-Sutherland)
Golden Try Robert Laurie (South Sydney)
Sources