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 TeamNicknameLeagueQualificationParticipation (bold indicates winners)St. GeorgeDragonsNSWRFLWinners of the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership5th ParramattaEelsNSWRFLRunners-Up in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership5th Eastern SuburbsRoostersNSWRFLThird Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership5th BalmainTigersNSWRFLFourth Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership5th Manly-WarringahSea EaglesNSWRFLFifth Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership5th Cronulla-SutherlandSharksNSWRFLSixth Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership5th Canterbury-BankstownBerriesNSWRFLSeventh Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership5th North SydneyBearsNSWRFLEighth Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership5th Western SuburbsMagpiesNSWRFLNinth Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership5th PenrithPanthersNSWRFLTenth Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership5th South SydneyRabbitohsNSWRFLEleventh Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership5th NewtownJetsNSWRFLTwelfth Place in the 1977 New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership5th Eastern SuburbsTigersBRLWinners of the 1977 Brisbane Rugby League Premiership3rd RedcliffeDolphinsBRLRunners-Up in the 1977 Brisbane Rugby League Premiership3rd Western SuburbsPanthersBRLThird Place in the 1977 Brisbane Rugby League Premiership3rd Northern SuburbsDevilsBRLFourth Place in the 1977 Brisbane Rugby League Premiership4th Past BrothersLeprechaunsBRLFifth Place in the 1977 Brisbane Rugby League Premiership4th Fortitude ValleyDiehardsBRLSixth Place in the 1977 Brisbane Rugby League Premiership4th Wynnum-ManlySeagullsBRLSeventh Place in the 1977 Brisbane Rugby League Premiership2nd Southern SuburbsMagpiesBRLEighth Place in the 1977 Brisbane Rugby League Premiership4th MonaroColtsCRLWinners of the 1977 Country Rugby League Championship5th NewcastleRebelsCRLRunners-Up in the 1977 Country Rugby League Championship4th Southern DivisionBullsCRLThird Place in the 1977 Country Rugby League Championship5th RiverinaBullsCRLFourth Place in the 1977 Country Rugby League Championship5th Northern DivisionTigersCRLFifth Place in the 1977 Country Rugby League Championship5th Western DivisionRamsCRLSixth Place in the 1977 Country Rugby League Championship5th North CoastDolphinsCRLSeventh Place in the 1977 Country Rugby League Championship5th IllawarraFlametreesCRLEighth Place in the 1977 Country Rugby League Championship5th Central QueenslandCaprasQRLQueensland Country Regional Team2nd Gold CoastVikingsQRLQueensland Country Regional Team1stIpswichDiggersQRLQueensland Country Regional Team4th North QueenslandMarlinsQRLQueensland Country Regional Team3rd ToowoombaClydesdalesQRLQueensland Country Regional Team4th Wide BayBullsQRLQueensland Country Regional Team3rd AucklandFalconsNZRLWinners of the 1977 New Zealand Rugby League Inter-District Premiership5th WellingtonBlack & Yellow CapitalsNZRLRunners-Up in the 1977 New Zealand Rugby League Inter-District Premiership1stNorthern TerritoryBullsNTRLState Representative Team3rd Western AustraliaBlack SwansWARLState Representative Team2nd

Venues SydneyBrisbaneNewcastleQueanbeyanWollongongWagga WaggaTamworthCoffs HarbourLismoreGriffithIpswichSouthportSurfers ParadiseMaryboroughDarwin 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 Venue15/03/78 Illawarra 63 Wellington NZ 5 Wollongong Showground26/03/78 Toowoomba 22 Ipswich 12 North Ipswich Reserve30/03/78 Gold Coast 18 North Queensland 16 Chris Cunningham Field2/04/78 Western Australia 21 Northern Territory 18 Richardson Park5/04/78 Wide Bay 12 Central Queensland 3 Eskdale Park8/04/78 Western Division 12 Southern Division 4 Orana Park

Round 2 Date Winner Score Loser Score Venue30/03/78 Wests BRL* 8 Wynnum-Manly 8 Lang Park30/03/78 Newtown 49 Brothers 0 Leichhardt Oval5/04/78 Souths BRL 10 Gold Coast 4 Chris Cunningham Field5/04/78 Illawarra 35 Fortitude Valley 7 Lang Park12/04/78 Riverina 43 Wide Bay 4 Griffith12/04/78 Newcastle 51 Western Australia 5 Newcastle ISC17/05/78 South Sydney 22 Western Division 9 Leichhardt Oval24/05/78 North Coast 22 Toowoomba 13 Oakes Oval

Round 3 Date Winner Score Loser Score Venue12/04/78 Newtown 13 Canterbury-Bankstown 4 Leichhardt Oval19/04/78 Western Suburbs 25 Souths BRL 5 Leichhardt Oval26/04/78 Wests BRL 4 Redcliffe 3 Lang Park3/05/78 Riverina 36 Penrith 2 Eric Weissel Oval10/05/78 Cronulla-Sutherland 57 Newcastle 5 Leichhardt Oval24/05/78 Illawarra 44 Norths BRL 5 Wollongong Showground31/05/78 South Sydney 9 Northern Division 5 Scully Park14/06/78 North Sydney 46 North Coast 3 Coffs Harbour

Round 4 Date Winner Score Loser Score Venue3/05/78 Eastern Suburbs 16 Western Suburbs 10 Leichhardt Oval24/05/78 Auckland 39 Riverina 3 Leichhardt Oval7/06/78 Parramatta 28 Wests BRL 0 Leichhardt Oval14/06/78 Cronulla-Sutherland 15 Monaro 8 Seiffert Oval14/06/78 Illawarra 19 Balmain 10 Leichhardt Oval27/06/78 St George 35 Newtown 11 Leichhardt Oval4/07/78 Manly-Warringah 11 South Sydney 9 Lang Park5/07/78 Easts BRL 27 North Sydney 6 Lang Park

Quarter finals Date Winner Score Loser Score Venue5/07/78 Eastern Suburbs 12 Illawarra 2 Leichhardt Oval12/07/78 St George 27 Parramatta 2 Leichhardt Oval19/07/78 Manly-Warringah 27 Easts BRL 10 Lang Park26/07/78 Cronulla-Sutherland 22 Auckland 6 Leichhardt Oval

Semi finals Date Winner Score Loser Score Venue2/08/78 Eastern Suburbs 14 Manly-Warringah 2 Leichhardt Oval9/08/78 St George 21 Cronulla-Sutherland 7 Leichhardt Oval

Final Date Winner Score Loser Score Venue16/08/78 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)

Notes *- Advanced on penalty count-back

References