League: Tomahawks hit hard in own pocket by reaching quarters

USA players have seen their prizemoney cut almost in half. Picture / Getty Images

They have been the Cinderella story of the World Cup but the financial reality for the United States is that their astonishing success on the field has left their battling players short-changed ahead of their quarter-final showdown with Australia.

While the Kangaroo players get paid about $15,000 for a test on top of a living allowance and all meals and accommodation supplied, the Tomahawks get no match payments and no living allowance.

Just a free feed and a bed.

On top of that, all but four of their squad have had to take time off work from their fulltime jobs just to be here.

Now on the eve of their elimination shootout with Australia, Tomahawks coach Terry Matterson has revealed their prizemoney will be cut almost in half because of costs associated with flight changes - simply because no one expected them to still be around for the business end of the tournament.

Matterson described the last month "as the most rewarding thing I have ever done in the game" and that's saying something given he won two premierships with the Brisbane Broncos and played State of Origin for NSW.

He also reckoned the Tomahawks have unearthed potentially three future NRL players in livewire hooker Tui Samoa, front-rower Mark Offerdahl and winger Bureta Faraimo.

But he said if World Cup organisers could learn one thing going forward, it is that developing league nations like the United States could do with more financial support.

"I just think the World Cup is going to make four or five million pounds out of this and we have created so much press for the game," Matterson said. "It has been the real feel-good story of the tournament with the Wiggles getting on board and all the coverage we have had. I just think these guys have been hit fairly hard for doing well.

"We have had to pay a lot of money out of our pocket and actually making the quarter-finals has hurt us. We have actually lost nearly half the prizemoney in having to change our flights. We have had to pay for that. [The World Cup] only paid for flights from Philadelphia. The ones from Australia we have to fund ourself.

"A lot of these guys are out of pocket. We got prizemoney for making the quarter-finals but nearly half that prizemoney is gone.

"It is tough. The boys don't get an allowance. They get all their meals paid but they don't get an allowance so I think certainly there could be some funding help because apparently the World Cup is going to make 5 million ($9.6 million) which I suppose leaves a bit of a sour taste in your mouth."

But from a personal development side of things, Matterson said this had been the trip of a lifetime for everyone involved.

And it has made him more aware than ever that being an NRL head coach down the track is a dream worth chasing.

"Definitely. This has just reiterated that I have no doubts whether I could do a job at that level. I am not in any big hurry. I will keep learning and working hard [as an assistant coach at the Cowboys] and I am looking forward to the future. It has probably given me more enthusiasm and belief that I can do a good job at NRL level," he said.