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They entered the 2013 Rugby League World Cup regarded as a team there to make up the numbers, a team who had had little success over their history.
Little was expected from the United States of America Tomahawks.
However they have set many tongues wagging throughout the tournament after beating the fourth-ranked French outfit 22-18 in Toulouse during the lead up to the tournament.
They then remarkably played three games in the space of just nine games including group matches against the Cook Islands (32-20) and Wales (24-16) before losing an inter-group match against Scotland (22-8) qualifying for the quarter finals against none other than the Australian Kangaroos.
While they went down in that match 62-0, they still managed to put up a fight against the tournament favourites.
America, depending on how you view them politically, are widely seen as the big brother of the world.
The country that is usually there to help out the smaller countries, a country that is happy to stand up against some of the bullies and a country that are just five days away from remembering the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of one of their much loved presidents John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
For many watching their success at the Rugby League World Cup has been encouraging.
In a sport where underdog stories are far and few between seeing the success of the Tomahawks topping their group and qualifying for the quarter finals has been a remarkable feat.
While those who have watched all four of their matches throughout the tournament, including their quarter final loss to the Kangaroos, it has been great to see a group of players who came together just a week before the event and overcome a last minute coaching change.
Players who were not being paid to participate at the tournament was a fairytale moment. The only thing that would make it better would have been victory over the dominant Australian outfit.
Throughout the tournament the USA Tomahawks have had a number of set backs.
They battled against referees who when it came to fifty-fifty calls favoured the more established international outfits.
They also battled against commentators who saw fit to fill their commentary calls filled with American clichés rather than focus on the good the team had done throughout the tournament.
The USA Tomahawks may have been bundled out of the 2013 Rugby League World Cup in their quarter final match-up against Australia, however throughout the entire tournament they did show signs of brilliance, guts and determination that would have truly rattled the leading international teams if they were able to string it all together in the one match.
It would be interesting to see how the American National Rugby League benefits from their success at this world cup.
The competition currently features twenty teams and in the process of expanding into Hawaii and other states.
The code is also ready for the launch of EagleTag in a bid to introduce juniors into the game.
If just a handful of children in the Land of the Free get encouraged to take up the game following their success at this world cup then the efforts displayed by this USA Tomahawks team could pave the way for more success in future editions of the tournament.
The efforts definitely show that the United States of America is well and truly the Home of the Brave.
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