Ray Hadley has commended Order of Australia recipient and leading heart surgeon Dr Ian Nicholson for his work internationally.

Last week, Ray Hadley received a note from the Australian heart surgeon who was hoping two NRL teams, playing a trial match in Papua New Guinea, could visit sick children in hospital before they went home.

Within hours, players from the Canterbury Bulldogs and Cronulla Sharks both paid a visit to the children in Port Moresby General Hospital.

Dr Nicholson takes a team of 40 people around the world to carry out surgeries and train locals in disadvantaged communities.

He tells Ray the locals in PNG are starting to perform their own surgeries.

“We’ve spent 27 years doing a bandaid type approach and in recent years training them.

“They’re starting to do things independently.”

Ray has praised Dr Nicholson’s “incredible work”.

“He is a miracle worker.”

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