Although his side are so far unbeaten, Rikiti was not "counting his chickens" and was keen for his team to continue with their hard uncompromising style of play - no matter who they come up against.
The Rotorua side travel to Tokoroa tomorrow and take on the Pacific Sharks who beat the Forestland 34-20 last time out.
The Sharks sit equal second with Otumoetai on the table with 8 points and with the bye in the last round, they are guaranteed a top four finish.
Otumoetai must be reeling after their loss to Pikiao and will be looking to exact revenge on their next opponents, Taupo Phoenix.
The Phoenix upset Tauranga Whalers in Taupo last weekend with a 30-20 win and must feel confident of another upset on their home soil this weekend.
Taupo currently round out the top four with 6 points but they have the hardest run home, facing Otumoetai tomorrow and Pikiao on May 26.
For Tauranga, who sit at the bottom of the table on two points, there is no room for mistakes, they must win their next two games to make the top four.
Central on 4 points sit just outside the top four but they also have a pretty tough road to make the mark.
They host Tauranga tomorrow, then Otumoetai the following week. The Lions, who despite a great pre-season have struggled to get any real consistency this season and may struggle to hold out their opponents over the next two weeks.
Forestland who are on two points, pick up another two points this weekend courtesy of the bye and will move ahead of Central on the board thanks to a better points differential and it could come down to their final game against Tauranga in the final round who will make the top four.
Round 6 Draw, May 19
Premier (2.30pm): Pacific v Pikiao, Tokoroa; Central v Tauranga, Puketawhero Park; Forestland *bye*; Taupo v Otumoetai, Taupo.
Points: Pikiao 10, Otumoetai 8, Pacific 8, Taupo 6, Central 4, Forestland 2, Tauranga 2.
Premier Reserves (1pm): Pacific v Pikiao, Tokoroa; Central v Tauranga, Puketawhero Park; Ngongotaha v Forestland, Puketawhero Park; Taupo v Otumoetai, Taupo; Putaruru v Mangakino, Putaruru; Reporoa v Turangi, Reporoa.
Points: Pacific 10, Mangakino 10, Otumoetai 8, Pikiao 8, Taupo 6, Ngongotaha 4, Reporoa 4, Turangi 4, Central 2, Putaruru 2, Tauranga 2, Forestland 2.Greg Taipari
Football
There are some interesting match-ups in this weekend's WaiBop Federation League.
Division one leaders Taupo are at home against a somewhat unpredictable Melville United and while the smart money will be on Taupo, this could be a close encounter if Melville arrive with their best team.
Whakatane Town, unbeaten at home this season, host second placed Claudelands Rovers and a repeat of last week's form, when they knocked Matamata out of the Chatham Cup, could see them retain their unbeaten run at Rex Morpeth Park.
Rotorua United, winless after six league games, need to turn their season around sooner rather than later if they are to escape the ignominy of battling to avoid relegation.
They face a tough task at Maramatanga Park against AFC Fury who have been one of the surprise packets this season.
Old Blues, after having last year's title-winning team decimated in the off-season, have stated this year's objective was to avoid relegation.
They are currently in the bottom three and tomorrow host Waikato Unicol who upset NRFL side Glenfield Rovers in the Chatham Cup last week, but are just two points ahead of Old Blues on the league table. With home advantage, Old Blues will be targeting this game for three vital points.
Ngongotaha play Otorohanga at Domain Drive with the form book suggesting the Villagers, buoyed by their Chatham Cup win, should come home with the win.
Otumoetai are another side basking in Chatham Cup glory and although opponents Tauranga Boys' College have a three-point advantage on the league table, Otumoetai should prevail at Fergusson Park.
Division 1 points: Taupo played 6, 18 points, Claudelands (6) 15, Melville and AFC Fury (7) 13, Whakatane (6) 10, Tauranga Boys' College (7) 9, Ngongotaha (6) 8, Unicol, Otumoetai (6) 6, Old Blues (6) Otorohanga (7) 4, Rotorua (6) 2.
Division 2 fixtures: Leaders Tauranga City have the bye, while second placed Clube Alegria meet bottom of the table Matamata. Rotorua United are at home against Katikati, Te Awamutu host Tokoroa and West Hamilton play Cambridge.Brian Smith
Eventing
One of the most prestigious titles in New Zealand Eventing will be contested at the NRM national three-day event at Aratiatia, Taupo, starting today.
The event, finishing on Sunday, has a capacity entry vying for the four championship trophies.
It is the culmination of the eventing year, with all five of the eventing New Zealand series (Bell Tea Super League, Massey University Young Rider, Alltech Junior Rider, Pro-Am, and Amateur) concluding in Taupo, with double points on offer for these final classes.
There are 21 riders coming from the South Island, the most in the event's history, which should make the Inter-Island teams competition, with four riders representing each island, an exciting one.
The venue, the Fiber Fresh National Equestrian Centre, received a $30,000 Lion Foundation grant for development of the cross-country course, so new challenges await all competitors.
The course, which runs over the adjacent Department of Conservation Reserve and the Landcorp property, reflects the heritage of the area. The designers are John Nicholson, Te Awamutu, brother of Olympian Andrew Nicholson and former Olympian Andrew Scott, Feilding.
The NZ Horse & Pony Young Event Horse Championship takes place on Friday, for qualified 4 and 5-year-old horses. This has become an attraction in itself, providing a shop window for breeders, and an introduction to high profile events for the horses.
