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.

1974 NSWRFL Midweek Cup
NSWRFL Amco Cup
Tournament details
Dates10 April - 21 August 1974
Teams21
Venue(s)4 (in 3 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Western Division (1st title)
Runners-up Penrith
Tournament statistics
Matches played20
1975

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.[1]

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

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Teams League Qualification
  Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles NSWRFL 1973 NSWRFL Premiership Winners
  Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks NSWRFL 1973 NSWRFL Runners-Up
  Newtown Jets NSWRFL 1973 NSWRFL Semi-finalists
  St. George Dragons NSWRFL 1973 NSWRFL Semi-finalists
  Canterbury-Bankstown Berries NSWRFL 1973 NSWRFL Semi-finalists
  Eastern Suburbs Roosters NSWRFL 1973 NSWRFL Sixth Place
  South Sydney Rabbitohs NSWRFL 1973 NSWRFL Seventh Place
  North Sydney Bears NSWRFL 1973 NSWRFL Eighth Place
  Western Suburbs Magpies NSWRFL 1973 NSWRFL Ninth Place
  Balmain Tigers NSWRFL 1973 NSWRFL Tenth Place
  Parramatta Eels NSWRFL 1973 NSWRFL Eleventh Place
  Penrith Panthers NSWRFL 1973 NSWRFL Twelfth Place
  Ryde-Eastwood Hawks NSWRFL 1973 NSWRFL Second Division Runners-Up1
  Southern Division (Capitals) CRL 1973 CRL Championship Runners-Up
  Riverina (Capitals) CRL 1973 CRL Championship Semi-finalists
  Northern Division (Capitals) CRL 1973 CRL Championship Semi-finalists
  Illawarra (Capitals) CRL 1973 CRL Championship Fifth Place
  Western Division (Capitals) CRL 1973 CRL Championship Sixth Place
  Monaro (Capitals) CRL 1973 CRL Championship Seventh Place
  North Coast (Capitals) CRL 1973 CRL Championship Eighth Place
  Auckland Falcons NZRL 1973 NZRL Premiership Winners
1 Replaced Wentworthville who declined to participate.

Venues

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Sydney Queanbeyan Orange
Leichhardt Oval Belmore Sports Ground Seiffert Oval Wade Park
Capacity: 23,000 Capacity: 28,000 Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 10,000
   

Round 1

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Home Score Away Match Information
Date Venue Referee
Eastern Suburbs Roosters   22 – 6   Western Suburbs Magpies Wednesday, 10 April Belmore Sports Ground Greg Hartley
Parramatta   39 – 11   Riverina Wednesday, 17 April Leichhardt Oval Laurie Bruyeres
North Sydney Bears   19 – 7   North Coast Wednesday, 24 April Leichhardt Oval[2] D. McDonald
Balmain Tigers   11 – 22   St George Dragons Wednesday, 1 May Leichhardt Oval Keith Page
Penrith Panthers   18 – 10   Ryde-Eastwood Hawks Wednesday, 8 May Leichhardt Oval

Round 2

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Home Score Away Match Information
Date Venue Referee
Newtown Jets   14 – 18   South Sydney Rabbitohs Wednesday, 15 May Leichhardt Oval
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles   34 – 10   Parramatta Wednesday, 22 May Leichhardt Oval
Western Division   13 – 7   Auckland Falcons Wednesday, 12 June Leichhardt Oval Laurie Bruyeres
Canterbury-Bankstown Berries   22 – 19   Illawarra Wednesday, 19 June Seiffert Oval Keith Page
Monaro   21 – 32   Eastern Suburbs Roosters Wednesday, 19 June Seiffert Oval[3] Geoff Cook
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks   14 – 15   Southern Division Wednesday, 26 June Leichhardt Oval Laurie Bruyeres
North Sydney Bears   14 – 19   Northern Division Wednesday, 3 July Leichhardt Oval Keith Holman
St George Dragons   3 – 14   Penrith Panthers Wednesday, 17 July Leichhardt Oval

Finals

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Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referees
Quarter-finals
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles   22 – 7   South Sydney Rabbitohs Wednesday, 10 July Leichhardt Oval
Canterbury-Bankstown Berries   10 – 12   Western Division Wednesday, 17 July Leichhardt Oval[4] Keith Holman
Eastern Suburbs Roosters   18 – 10   Southern Division Wednesday, 24 July Leichhardt Oval Les Ballard
Penrith Panthers   31 – 11   Northern Division Wednesday, 31 July Leichhardt Oval[5] Keith Page
Semi-finals
Western Division   12* – 12   Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Wednesday, 7 August Wade Park[6] Jack Danzey
Eastern Suburbs Roosters   9 – 10   Penrith Panthers Wednesday, 14 August Leichhardt Oval
Final
Penrith Panthers   2 – 6   Western Division Wednesday, 21 August Leichhardt Oval[7] Laurie Bruyeres
  • *- advanced after a penalty count-back

Awards

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Golden Try

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References

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  1. ^ Raffaele, Garry (28 March 1974). "Super league doubtful value in country". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. p. 24. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  2. ^ "Amco Cup game". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 5 July 1974. p. 17. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  3. ^ Raffaele, Garry (20 June 1974). "Easts thunder to victory". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. p. 20. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  4. ^ "Millward is likely to miss third rugby league test". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 18 July 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  5. ^ "Penrith reaches semi-finals of Amco Cup". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 2 August 1974. p. 14. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  6. ^ "Western Division in Amco Cup final". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 8 August 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Amco Cup to Western Division". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 22 August 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 24 May 2020.